Nicola Turner’s “Fabric of Undoing” is an Unsettlingly Captivating Exploration of Form and Memory.

Prepare to have your perceptions challenged and your senses engaged by Nicola Turner’s latest exhibition, “Fabric of Undoing.” The exhibition opened its doors on January 24th, 2025. It is running until March 15th, 2025, at CARVALHO PARK in New York, this isn’t just another art show. It’s an experience that lingers long after you leave the gallery. Turner presents a world of imposing, tentacle-like forms, animated by unexpected materials and a deep sense of the uncanny. Her art invites active participation. It asks compelling questions about life, death, and the spaces we occupy, beckoning you into a dialogue with the unseen forces around us. Are you ready to witness the unique vision of Nicola Turner?

Fabric of Undoing - Nicola Turner’s site-responsive installation at CARVALHO PARK
Fabric of Undoing – Nicola Turner’s site-responsive installation at CARVALHO PARK

A Dreamlike Landscape of Material and Memory

The sculptures within the “Fabric of Undoing” exhibition are anything but static. They are substantial, tentacle-like presences, brought to life by the glinting silver legs of discarded hospital trolleys. These are not your typical sculptural forms. They are constructed from horsehair and wool. These materials are encased in netting and stitched together, creating textured tendrils that coalesce into larger, unsettling shapes. This unconventional organic approach imparts an otherworldly feeling. The forms are both recognizable and completely alien. Envision a derelict landscape, punctuated by towering smokestacks and overgrown woods. Yet, these forms are even more primal, existing on a more abstract plane. They embody the essence of ooze, the remnants of ash, and what Turner calls ‘dead matter.’ However, this dead matter is charged with a peculiar vitality. It is as if they’re hinting at an afterlife or another state of being.

The Tentacular Embrace: A New Way of Seeing

Nicola Turner’s art actively engages with the philosophical ideas of feminist philosopher Donna Haraway. Haraway’s concept of ‘tentacular figures’ is particularly pertinent here. She posits that tentacles experience the world through touch. They operate through a profound reciprocal connection. In this model, sight and touch become inextricably intertwined. Instead of a detached observer, the viewer is enmeshed in a tactile exchange with what is perceived. Think of it as a sensory dialogue rather than a distant, clinical observation. Seen through this lens, Turner’s mysterious organisms take on a new complexity. They become like deep-sea creatures, equipped with intricate sensory systems. Moreover, they represent a subversive metaphor regarding the way we observe the world around us. The tentacle’s wide-reaching, grasping nature explains the immersive quality of Turner’s exhibition. It’s almost impossible not to become absorbed in the world she’s created. The audience is directly addressed by the sculptures, compelled to respond. It elevates “Fabric of Undoing” beyond a simple artistic display into a profoundly engaging encounter.

The Ghostly Origins: Echoes of Life in Material

Despite lacking conventional human or animal traits, the sculptures project a powerful presence. There’s an undeniably flesh-like, yet undefinable, quality that is unnervingly familiar. This might stem from their origins. Nicola Turner salvages her horsehair from old mattresses. The bed, a space of great intimacy, becomes a repository for our most significant moments, as well as the most forgettable. It is both a site of birth and death. This act of reclaiming horsehair is an intimate exploration of what we leave behind. These amassed tendrils of horsehair reach outwards, grasping onto the metal frameworks. The metal legs create the impression of floating, like a morning mist rising from the ground. However, the trolleys aren’t just structural supports; they carry their own histories, just like the mattresses. They infuse the installation with a human presence, emphasizing the biomorphic nature of Turner’s artistic language. Moreover, the stitched materials suggest acts of repair, evoking images of bodies marked by suture wounds. This isn’t merely a juxtaposition of materials; it’s a meaningful dialogue between physical objects and the memories they embody.

From Laundry to Landscape: A Space Transformed

The very space where the “Fabric of Undoing” exhibition takes place has its own history. It used to be a laundry. It is a place where bodies, and the routines of daily life, leave their marks and their traces. Turner has a personal connection to this, as her own studio was once a laundry. If a laundry’s purpose is to erase the visible signs of the body, then Turner has reversed this, accumulating affects and associations instead. She gives these intangible states tangible forms. These shapes possess the weight of an animal’s hide and the agility of something that is moving on wheels. The art in “Fabric of Undoing” goes beyond simple viewing: it’s an invitation to observe movement and to be moved by it.

Nicola Turner: An Artist with a Rich Background

Born in the United Kingdom in 1967, Nicola Turner is a distinguished sculptor and installation artist based in Bath. She holds an MA in Fine Art from Bath Spa University and a BA in Theatre Design from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design. Her background in set and costume design is extensive, with over twenty years of international collaborations. She has designed productions for renowned venues like the Royal Opera House and the Sydney Opera House. She even won awards for her work. Her monumental sculpture, “The Meddling Fiend,” was presented in the Royal Academy of Arts’ courtyard. She has also held solo exhibitions such as “The Uninvited Guest from the Unremembered Past,” and “Myth and Miasma”. Her versatility is further demonstrated through her participation in group exhibitions. Turner’s diverse history and commitment to her art shape the unique and thoughtful perspective that characterizes her work.

The Enduring Impact of “Fabric of Undoing”

“Fabric of Undoing” by Nicola Turner is more than a display of art; it is a journey into a realm that is both unsettling and profoundly moving. It challenges our understanding, invites us to engage with materials in new ways, and delves into the memories embedded in the spaces around us. It possesses the potential for virality on social media, thanks to its striking visuals and complex themes. The unexpected use of familiar objects creates a significant visual impact. The exploration of human experiences resonates deeply. Can you allow yourself to be both unsettled and captivated by the world that Nicola Turner has created?


All images © by CARVALHO PARK. Feel free to browse WE AND THE COLOR’s Art section for more.

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