Feature: THE BIG PICTURE - Artist Adel Abdessemed creates 17-metre human skeleton

Published: 7 October, 2010

THIS dramatic 17-metre human skeleton made of fibreglass hangs horizontally from its spine together with an aeroplane propeller at the Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art, based near Old Street, Islington. 

Its creator is the Algerian-born artist Adel Abdessemed, who uses a wide range of media, including sculpture, installation, video, photography and drawings, to produce works that embody the fragility of life, and deeply imbued with beauty and poetry. 

The exhibition includes Abdessemed’s installation entitled “silent warrior”, with numerous colourful masks made from found and discarded empty tin cans from Africa, which once either contained food provisions or toxic material.

The gallery is also showing the work of the three winners of this year’s Exposure 10 Award, the second year of its annual Exposure Award which coincides with the Frieze Art Fair. The Award aims to provide an opportunity for graduates from a UK art school to exhibit work at the gallery in a professional context. This year Parasol unit has collaborated with the Royal College of Art on the project. 

The winners are Leah Capaldi, whose video installation within a cargo container entitled “Sculpture 2m.43cm X 2m.43cm x 6m.9cm” is displayed outside; Kate Liston, whose work “Fire Escape” is installed in the stairwell at the front of the gallery, using the immediate surroundings as its subject and limits; and Lea Provenzano, who presents “Hour’s Light” a video projection exploring the passing and measurement of time.

The judges for this year’s award were Amikam Toren, Israeli/British artist and founding co-editor of Wallpaper magazine; Elizabeth Price, video artist and RCA alumnus; JJ Charlesworth, associate editor of ArtReview and tutor in Painting, RCA; and Ziba Ardalan, director/curator of Parasol unit.

• Adel Abdessemed: Silent Warriors is at the Parasol Unit foundation for contemporary art, 14 Wharf Road, N1, until November 21. The Exposure Awards are on display until October 17. 020 7490 7373, www.parasol-unit.org