The Welsh-German artist duo Manon Awst and Benjamin Walther began their collaboration in 2006. Their backgrounds in architecture and theatre strongly influence their approach to space and place – an awareness that resonates in their sculptures, performances and installations.

The artists’ choice of unconventional sculptural material is determined by aesthetic and haptic qualities in relation to the recurring notions of potentiality and mortality in their practice. Their recent work includes a chandelier of grapes that loses its bloom and withers over weeks, changing the atmosphere and experience within the gallery space as the exhibition continues.

“Untitled (Body Bag)” is one of an extensive series of sculptures made of pigmented gelatine, an impermanent material that progresses from dead matter to luscious set form. In a subtle yet critical manner, Awst & Walther put society’s governing values and accepted codes of behaviour under scrutiny.