A special project created by Ron Arad for the Laffanour-Downtown Gallery.

Of course, I know this installation very well, but I haven’t seen it yet. It’s probably currently in shipping crates between Italy and Paris. Personally, I prefer to see an exhibition for the first time when it’s about to open: it’s much more exciting that way.
That said, there have been other examples, such as the motifs of the table installation at the Fondation Cartier in 1994, the swirl of tables at the Milan Triennale, and the free-form wall-climbing installation “Paved with Good Intentions” in Miami.
For Downtown @ Downtown, it’s different; it’s more of an urban plan, with its hierarchy of roads and squares. The installation occupies the entire gallery space, passes through every corner, and collides with every corner. This work once again has a double life: first, the experience of it in its entirety, with its recurring reflections and the disorienting effect they create; second, when the installation is dismantled and the tables and groups of tables are reflected elsewhere. The tables are, overall, smaller than in my previous works and, as a result, will likely leave the installation in small groups rather than individually.

I can’t wait to see the result!

Ron Arad, London, October 2012.