Human Limbs Mysteriously Emerge from Marble Slabs in Milena Naef’s Performative Sculptures

Photographs by Lisa-Marie Vlietstra and Alice Trimouille

Milena Naef juxtaposes the manufactured shapes of marble slabs with the organic forms of the human figure in her performative sculptural works. In her series ‘Fleeting Parts,’ the artist removes portions of Cristallina marble to create openings that are perfectly shaped to allow arms, legs, and torsos to emerge.

Naef, who lives and works in Amsterdam, describes her work in a statement: “Once tangible, the interaction with the concrete material allows for a space to ‘open’ in which a given context can be changed. The body itself with its physical presence and its absence becomes a vital aspect of the work. When do structures inhibit or liberate us and our physical form? What is the consequence of the fact that our bodies are always ‘filling space’?”

The artist’s solo show is on view through August 20, 2018, at Studio Oliver Gustav in Copenhagen, and she will also be exhibiting work at the Garage Rotterdam museum from August 31 to October 28, 2018. You can see more of her work on Instagram. (via I Need A Guide)