What to See this London Gallery Weekend
Salena Barry, Frieze
May 2022
Nicola L.’s ‘Penetrable’ sculptures, initially conceived to be entered or worn by viewers or performers, are creepy, almost kinky, their taut canvas forms like skins, punctuated with spaces for heads, arms, eyes and legs. Adorned with phrases like ‘We want to breathe’ and ‘We don’t want war,’ these wearable artworks embody politically charged messages. Some accommodate multiple bodies – as in the 11-headed Same Skin for Everybody (1975) – and the unisex, one-size-fits-all tailoring suggest universality and the hope of interpersonal connection. […]