KAHLIL ROBERT IRVING:
MONUMENT (FROM AN ACT TO A VOID) IN 3/5TH FORM

on view April 5 – November 9, 2025
Outdoor Galleries, Museum Circle

Laumeier Sculpture Park is pleased to announce the upcoming display of Kahlil Robert Irving’s large-scale work Monument (from an Act to a Void) in 3/5th form.

St. Louis-based and rising star artist Kahlil Robert Irving is best known for layered assemblages, sculptures and installations that include replicas of everyday objects and physical remnants of the past. By re-presenting of contemporary artifacts, he reveals a fragmented American experience. Irving bravely explores how systems of control, oppression, and histories of anti-Blackness subtly influence our lives.

Monument (from an Act to a Void) in 3/5th form, 2024, is a large, matte black ceramic piece manufactured using factory pipe techniques. It was originally part of a multimedia installation that examined urban streets as both a place and a concept.  At Laumeier, this single work takes on new meaning in a suburban setting. It visually connects with the surrounding architecture and sculptures. Placed in the Park’s “front lawn,” the striking sculpture challenges viewers with its abstract, monolithic form in a peaceful environment. Irving explains his approach to ceramics: “I’m interested in using ceramics as a conceptual tool. I’m trying to connect the history of ceramic and industrial ceramic production to the issues of contemporary life. I’m interested in the politics of material, and how the past relates to the present.”

Laumeier’s Curator Dana Turkovic adds “Kahlil is a local artist whose work has been making waves throughout the art world, garnering him solo exhibitions at some of the most prestigious museums in the country. We are looking forward to activating our Museum Circle with his deceptively complex work. His sculpture poses so many interesting questions about the history of place. While minimal in his approach, the piece is a monument to permanence and material presence.”

About the Artist

Kahlil Robert Irving was born in 1992 in San Diego, CA and raised in St. Louis, MO. He received a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2015 and an MFA from Washington University in 2017. His work has been featured in numerous group exhibitions including: The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS; The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University, St. Louis; Vox Populi, Philadelphia; RISD Museum, Providence; Singapore Biennale; Gagosian Gallery, Los Angeles and Singapore; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. He was awarded the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Biennial Award in 2019, the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant in 2020 and the Young Artist Prize in 2023. He currently lives and works in St. Louis.

Laumeier is an internationally recognized museum, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The 501(c)3 nonprofit organization operates in partnership with St. Louis County Parks. Laumeier Sculpture Park’s ongoing operations and programs are generously supported by St. Louis County Parks; with support from the Regional Arts Commission; Missouri Arts Council, a state agency; among other corporations, foundations, individual donors and members.

2025 Exhibitions are supported by Whitaker Foundation, Ken and Nancy Kranzberg, Joan and Mitchell Markow and Two Sister’s Foundation, Emily Rauh Pulitzer, and Mary Ann and Andy Srenco.