The Swiss contemporary artist Ugo Rondinone is the subject of a solo exhibition titled vocabulary of solitude, held at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, New Zealand. The artist, who works across painting, sculpture, video, and installation, poetically reinterprets familiar imagery and explores the emotional and psychological depths of the human experience. Through his current installation, Rondinone presents an array of clown sculptures within a space encased in windows covered by rainbow-colored screen film, encouraging an introspection into human existence. 

Constructed with windows covered with multi-colored screen film, the exhibition space houses life-sized clown sculptures placed in various positions on the floor which is covered in vinyl, bringing a melancholy atmosphere to the room. For this exhibition, a sheet of colored screen film have been affixed to the front and back windows of the space. The clown figures—the main feature of this installation—exhibit a passive and lethargic attitude that strikes a stark contrast to their jubilant surroundings and festive costumes. Each of the clowns, titled after everyday acts such as “breathe,” “rise,” “taste,” “remember,” and “cry,” define “solitude” in discrete ways, while representing individuals who remain outside society’s mainstream. vocabulary of solitude, which is on view for free with the support of the Auckland Contemporary Art Trust, runs through February 27, 2022.