“Have you ever felt dwarfed by a crowd?” That’s the question Magdalena Abakanowicz seems to pose with her powerful installation, Flock Sculpture, known as Agora. Located in Grant Park, Agora is a striking collection of 106 headless and armless iron figures.
Agora gets its name from the Greek word for “meeting place”. It is one of Chicago’s most recent and important sculptural installations. These figures stand nine feet tall. Each weighs about 1,800 pounds.
The sculptor, Abakanowicz, was born in 1930 just outside of Warsaw. World War II and the subsequent Soviet domination profoundly affected her life and work. She expressed that she lived in times marked by collective hate and adulation. Marches and parades celebrated leaders who later became mass murderers. Abakanowicz became obsessed with the image of the crowd. She suspected instincts and emotions often overpower intellect.
Abakanowicz began creating large headless figures in the 1970s. She initially worked with burlap and resin. Later, she transitioned to bronze, steel, and iron. The iron figures are posed walking in groups. Some stand still. Others appear to move in different directions. Some seem to pull away from the group. The artist donated the sculptural group along with the Polish Ministry of Culture.
The iron has been allowed to rust. This gives the figures a reddish appearance and a bark-like texture. Visitors are encouraged to walk among the sculptures. This encourages contemplation of the work.
The name Agora, as I mentioned, comes from ancient Greek city-states’ meeting places. Abakanowicz said her art draws on her fear of crowds. She once described crowds as brainless organisms acting on command. They worship and hate on command.
Interestingly, Agora has also inspired optimistic interpretations. One critic suggested the figures seem to be thinking as individuals not as a group. He proposed it represents democracy.
The installation of Agora in 2006 cost over $3 million. Private donors, including actor Robin Williams, contributed. Even before this project, Chicago was important to Abakanowicz. Her first American retrospective exhibit was held here in 1982 at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Agora received mixed reactions from Chicagoans. Some loved it. Some hated it. There seemed to be no middle ground. Despite the varying opinions, Mayor Daley praised the work. He suggested experiencing it firsthand to feel the artist’s spirit.
Agora is Abakanowicz’s largest permanent installation. It is valued at more than $3 million. It remains a thought-provoking landmark in Grant Park. As you wander through Agora, consider the power of the collective. Think about individual identity. Are we truly individuals or simply part of a crowd?