ArtPrize at Meijer Gardens - Mark Mennin: Embedded

Mark Mennin’s entry for ArtPrize 2022 comprises three oversized stone beds, situated outdoors on the Frey Foundation Plaza. Titled Embedded, this trio of voluptuous structures is designed for people to sit or lie on, bringing us right up against this hard material. The artist sees his large-scale stone sculptures as an opportunity to “bond our bodies to the Earth” and as a “tidy way of rolling around in mud.” Mennin’s triptych serves a sensual invitation to get closer to this primal matter, grounding us in the natural and the built stone environments. Unlike with most sculptures in public collections, visitors are encouraged to touch, lounge and linger on Mennin’s curvaceous stone beds.