The size and variety of this year’s East Wing exhibition make it difficult to choose a single most impressive work. Yet, I found myself particularly interested in the small sculpture by Claire Burbridge called Ophelia. Among the naturalia of the cabinet of curiosities, this work seems exceptionally calm and meditative. The unique technique combining resin, cloth and pigments gives an interesting light effect. Next to the representations of insects and an HIV virus, Ophelia invites us into the world of humanity. In the context of this room, Burbridge seems to place a mirror in front of the viewer. Observing the beautiful enclosed female figure, I felt both strangely calm and disturbed in response to its qualities.

JAKUB KOGUCIUK

A witty complement to a Cafe space, Madeleine Boulesteix’s 8 Cup Multicoloured Chandelier is situated at both the centre of East Wing Nine’s ‘Fragments’ room and, arguably, the Institute itself. Boulesteix’s piece invests found objects, antiques, and crockery with a purpose that sees their humble origins elevated to an allusion to eighteenth-century decadence. A conversation piece and historical nod, the chandelier adds a touch of elegance to our beloved brickwork bunker, and is not only the most visible work in the show, but seemingly the most popular. Echoes of ‘I want one’ fall into place alongside discussions of its construction, its inspiration and, most significantly, its place as a piece of contemporary art in an anything but contemporary setting.

DONNA MARIE HOWARD