Statuephilia Exhibition

Showing alongside the Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman sculptures the Statuephilia exhibition at British Museum brings modern sculpture into the galleries renowned for their ancient antiquities. A group of majpr artists including Damien Hirst and Marc Quinn are featuring their statues in the exhibition as they go on show alongside ancient mummies, Greek columns and Mesopotamian sculptures.

On show around the British Museum the Statuephilia Exhibition has located each artwork in a different room that somehow relates to the piece. Alongside the sculptures from Mexico, Easter Island, Nigeria, North America, China and India, Statuepihilia features work by Antony Gormley, Ron Mueck and Noble and Webster. Placing the modern statues in a different context will inspire viewers to see the relationship between the pieces and see the newer sculptures in their larger, historical context.

One of the highlights of the Statuephilia exhibition is sure to be the gold Kate Moss statue created by Marc Quinn. Quinn sculpted Kate Moss out of bronze back in 2006 in a sculpture called Sphinx which showed the supermodel in a rather revealing yoga pose. Now she has been cast in solid gold, and this contemporary icon of beauty is taking up residence amongst the beautiful women of Ancient Egypt and Greece. One of the largest gold sculptures to have been created since the time of the Ancient Egyptians, Siren is sure to be huge pull for Kate Moss fans and art lovers alike.

Antony Gormley's Case for an Angel I is the study for his enormously popular Angel of the North, and although not quite as large as the sculpture that stands outside Gateshead, this angel fills the entire front hall of the museum. With a nine metre wing span, Case for an Angel I is one of the largest sculptures on show in the Statuephilia exhibition, and stands at the entrance as a link to all the monumental statuary that the museum holds.

With his reputation for large sculptures and his auction of the massive Golden Calf at Sothebys, Damien Hirst is another modern artist bringing his work to the exhibition. Filling the walls of the Enlightenment Gallery, Hirst has created 200 skulls entitled Cornucopia. The very first of their kind to come from the artist, the Statuephilia exhibition sees their premiere at the British Museum.

Other works on show around the museum include the giant head from Ron Mueck on the floor of the Living and Dying Wellcome Trust Gallery, and the phantasmagoric silhouette by Noble and Webster in the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery.

Statuephilia is on show at the British Museum until Sunday 25th January 2009, and entrance is free.

Other London events

Cultural Olympiad Open Weekend

Gold Kate Moss Statue

Simply Madonna

Open Rehearsal

Art on River Thames

Zoo Art Fair London

London Film Festival

Fashion v Sport Exhibition

GSK Contemporary

Drift 08

Rambert Dance Company Tickets

Ripleys Believe it or Not London

Art London

Frieze Art Fair London

Darwin Exhibition London

Renaissance Faces at National Gallery

Bruegel to Rubens at Buckingham Palace

London Boat Show

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