Luminous Whispers

Luminous Whispers comprises a set of concrete volumes sitting on top of each other, bringing together various emblematic elements of Jose Dávila’s work: most notably, balance and the juxtaposition of natural rocks with manufactured concrete forms. Dávila’s contrast between these natural and man-made materials results in similar but slightly different forms that highlight the tension between humanity and the natural world. The sculptures’ weight, mass, and shape also reference Equal (2015), Richard Serra’s forged steel box sculptures, but these works move forward for Dávila in including light for the first time. For this commission for Noor Riyadh, the artist was inspired by scenes depicting mystery or the unknown in cinematic imagery, such as the glowing contents in the briefcase in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction or the cinematic convention of an ominous ray of light showing in the crack of a door. Light becomes not only a visual element, but an active individual in the work’s narrative.

Luminous Whispers, 2023 © Jose Dávila
Commissioned by RCRC and Riyadh Art