What role does concrete play in abstract sculptures exploring fragility and impermanence?

Concrete, often associated with durability and permanence, paradoxically becomes a powerful medium for abstract sculptures that explore themes of fragility and impermanence. Artists utilize its rough, textured surface and monolithic presence to contrast with delicate, crumbling, or fragmented forms, creating a visual tension between strength and vulnerability.

The material’s inherent weight and solidity amplify the fleeting nature of the concepts it represents, such as decay, transformation, or human transience. By manipulating concrete’s rigidity—through cracks, erosion, or precarious balances—sculptors evoke a sense of temporal fragility, challenging perceptions of permanence.

In contemporary art, concrete’s symbolism extends beyond its physicality. It mirrors societal structures, environmental erosion, or emotional resilience, making it a versatile tool for abstract expression. Ultimately, concrete in these sculptures serves as a metaphor for the duality of existence: seemingly unyielding yet profoundly ephemeral.