William Kentridge: The Pull of Gravity

Yorkshire Sculpture Park presents a landmark exhibition by South African artist William Kentridge, offering the first museum-focused exploration of his sculpture outside his home country. Over a decade in development, the exhibition assembles more than 40 works created between 2007 and 2024, forming a multi-sensory journey through the artist’s practice.

At its heart is “Paper Procession”, a newly commissioned outdoor installation of six monumental, vividly coloured sculptures arranged before a century-old yew hedge. These are joined by four of Kentridge’s largest bronzes to date, positioned against the expansive Yorkshire landscape. The presentation spans a wide range of materials – including bronze, steel, aluminium, paper, cardboard, plaster, wood and found objects – highlighting the artist’s versatility and inventive approach.

Also featured is the first institutional showing of “Self-Portrait as a Coffee Pot” (2020–24), a film series conceived during the first Covid-19 lockdown. Offering a glimpse into the artist’s studio, these works reveal the interplay of thought, process and material in his practice. In the central gallery, two large-scale film installations – “More Sweetly Play the Dance” (2015) and “Oh To Believe In Another World” (2022) – are presented in rotation across seven screens, immersing viewers in music, movement and narrative.

Kentridge’s work, rooted in Johannesburg and shaped by the socio-political history of South Africa, traverses drawing, sculpture, tapestry, animation, theatre and opera, consistently questioning historical narratives and the enduring impact of colonialism.