The Curve gallery, integrated with the distinctive architecture of the Barbican, will come to life from 1 October 2026 with the kinetic sculptures and sound installations of Japanese artist Yuko Mohri. Mohri is not just an artist; she works like an alchemist decoding the language of everyday objects. By combining found items with electricity, magnetism, gravity, and even the dust particles in the space, she creates a universe that is constantly transforming and never remains the same.
Mohri’s practice is built on chain reactions triggered by “unstable elements.” In this new work specially designed for the Barbican, the artist responds not only to the environmental conditions of the gallery space but also to our presence as visitors. Your movement in the space, your breath, or a single step you take can turn into an unexpected sound or motion in Mohri’s delicate mechanisms.
These ephemeral and unpredictable installations are, in fact, reflections of the ecological and social fragility in which we live. Mohri asks us: “How deeply are we connected to one another and to the planet, and what will we do with the responsibility that this connection brings?”
Visitor Notes:
Dates: 1 October 2026 – 24 January 2027. (Mark your calendars now!)
Location: The Curve, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS.
Admission: Free.
Experience: Mohri’s world brings together humour and surprise, science and poetry. As you walk along the long, curving line of The Curve, you will not only view the art but feel that you have become part of it.
