A Quiet Focus

In 2022, Walter Oltmann was awarded the Edoardo Villa Extraordinary Award for Sculpture, which empowers the continuing practice of the recipient by providing space and resources to research, produce, and exhibit new works.

Oltmann’s award also made possible the production of a publication, for which the artist engaged in a series of ongoing conversations with different artists who work in a similar way, to varying ends.

A Quiet Focus demonstrated some of the ideas expressed during these conversations. It focused on the work of three artists, Oltmann, Usha Seejarim, and Chris Soal, exploring the dialogue between each artist and the materials they employ, in particular their slow, repetitive process and the haptic nature of their work.

In addition to the display of individual artists’ works, the exhibition also invites audiences to handle and experiment with the raw materials used, gaining a deeper understanding of their methodology, the labour involved, and the limitations and possibilities afforded by each.