Nicole Wermers’ sculptures combine the rigid formalism of Modernism with the opulence of high-end consumerism. Her visually seductive abstract collages harness design and advertising to architecture and the urban environment. Wermers’ work lingers in these threshold spaces, the liminal zones of car parks, lifts, and department store entrances – whose shoplifting detectors provide the inspiration for ‘Untitled (Forcefield)’, 2006. Nicole Wermers’ first public sculpture was proposed during her residency, supported by Outset.
The work consisted of a giant ‘mother-of-pearl’ and lacquer earring, that was ‘pierced’ into the side of Camden Arts Centre. Playing on the relationship between architecture and the body, it also reflected Nicole Wermers’ interest in design and the transformation of materials into luxury goods.
Donated to Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg
