At eight feet tall, Receiver by Huma Bhabha is an imposing and fabulously evocative sculpture, perfectly embodying the artist's reinterpretation of relics and monuments of the ancient world. ⁠⁠Her sublime sculptures look to reimagine the power historically attributed to monuments, placing works such as Receiver in the realm of what we understand as counter-monuments. ⁠⁠

This creature at once looks as if it has been hastily assembled and has stood for thousands of years. It could be the result of an archaeological excavation or dropped in from an alien planet; either a figure of worship or an ominous warning. While at first it seems to be assembled from roughly carved Styrofoam and cork, on closer inspection it is clearly cast in bronze. As the hulking mass of the structure reveals itself, what were taken to be signs of deterioration are revealed as meticulously painted illusions. Such a mirage points to the deceptive nature of strength and power, as well as the reflexive deference we hold for particular materials. It encourages us to take nothing at face value.

Visual contradictions also extend to Bhabha’s extensive reference points, which span antiquity to modern-day science fiction. In this case, the folded arms of Receiver share a similarity with Mesopotamian votive statues, while the enormous, slab-like legs recall the “Power Loader” suit that Ripley dons in Aliens for her triumphant final battle with a Xenomorph. By looking back as well as forward, and far beyond the western canon, Bhabha creates a unique blend of speculative fiction. It is one that questions the notion of the “alien”, and places emphasis on the discarded, forgotten and unknown.  Elephant Art