Anish Kapoor to show some of his most ambitious projects—realised or not—in Venice – The Art Newspaper

6 March 2026

Anish Kapoor is, as he emphasises, “very much an artist”, but his next exhibition in Venice will focus on his architectural projects—or, perhaps more accurately, his sculptural projects that have verged on the architectural in terms of scale. The earliest work dates back more than 40 years.

Some of them, such as Cloud Gate (2006) in Chicago and the recently opened Monte Sant’Angelo Metro Station in Naples have been realised; others have not. They exist only as models, and there will be between 50 to 70 of them on show at the Palazzo Manfrin, where Kapoor launched his foundation in 2022. This is the second time the historical space will open to the public.

Among Kapoor’s most ambitious unrealised projects are plans for a work in outer space. “It’s realistic in the sense that we’re in serious discussion—I can’t tell you with who—about doing something very ambitious out there, hopefully big enough to see from Earth. [It’s] not just a token,” Kapoor tells The Art Newspaper. It is not confirmed yet whether the model for this work will be unveiled in Venice.

Whether such projects are realised or not is almost immaterial to Kapoor. His Venice show, which opens 5 May, is a chance to explore the more non-commercial side of his work. “It’s about opening up my practice. It’s important that it isn’t restricted to what the market can consume. Yes, there’s a side of my practice that is for sale. But throughout my career I’ve always had all kinds of works—things made out of wax and all sorts of things—I’ve hardly ever sold a single one of those, and in a way that’s what keeps my practice alive. The real, or other, side of my practice has always been important.”

A mix of old and new works will go on show, including around six projects that have been realised. Among them is Descent into Limbo (1992), which will be installed on the Cannaregio site permanently once the exhibition closes in August. At the Edge of the World (1998), which already exists in two versions in red, has been remade for Venice in a “very sombre, dark, dark black”. Kapoor elaborates: “It’s a not-so-new paint that I’ve been using. Not Vantablack [a super-black coating developed by Surrey Nanosystems] but related to it.”

Read the full article by Anny Shaw for The Art Newspaper here.

Image: Anish Kapoor, At the Edge of the World (1998), Photo: David Stjernholm