Not Vital's Head No. 5, 2013, is part of a series of epic,
highly polished, austere sculptures depicting monumental heads, executed
by the Swiss artist at his studio in Beijing. The simplicity of form
and totemic nature of the works recall prehistoric painting and
sculpture, belied only by the futuristic, slick, reflective surface of
sensual concavities and convexities achieved with a PVD (Physical Vapor
Deposition) coating. The reduction of facial features on the heads and
the universality of depiction lend a timeless, iconic and spiritual
quality to these staggering forms.

Head No. 5 (2013) is an arresting example from Not Vital’s acclaimed Heads series, a body of work that has come to embody the artist’s profound engagement with abstraction, materiality, and universal human forms. Created following the establishment of Vital’s studio in China in 2008, these enigmatic sculptural heads crystallise years of exploration, merging the precision of industrial craftsmanship with the timeless allure of organic simplicity.

The Heads series originates from Vital’s 2009 drawings, where he focused exclusively on depicting the heads of his assistants, friends, and fellow artists within the creative enclave of Caochangdi on the outskirts of Beijing. These early sketches, stripped of extraneous detail, paved the way for the sculptures' abstract purity. In Head No. 5, the familiar contours of a human head are retained – the soft curve of the skull, subtle indentations suggesting eyes and chins – yet all specificity is deliberately erased. What remains is a distilled essence: a universal form that transcends individual identity, evoking both connection and anonymity.

Forged with a seamless, polished reflective surface through PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition), Head No. 5 glistens like a celestial orb. The mirrored exterior draws the viewer into a dynamic interplay of reflection and distortion. Surroundings bend and ripple across the surface, creating a vortex-like pull that simultaneously absorbs and repels. This push-pull dynamic, enhanced by the sculpture’s cool, clinical finish, generates a hypnotic tension – a captivating dialogue between presence and absence, solidity and ephemerality.

Unlike traditional sculptural forms, the work eschews bases or plinths, standing freely in the space and eroding the boundary between artwork and viewer. The result is an immersive experience, where the sculpture dominates its environment with quiet authority. Its solemn simplicity imbues the space with a meditative stillness, yet its commanding presence and timeless ambiguity demand attention. Is it a head? A meteor? A relic from a distant past, or a vision of a distant future?

Vital’s Head No. 5 resists easy categorisation, defying notions of time, place, and purpose. Its fluid interplay of minimalism and universality invites contemplation, while its immaculate craftsmanship speaks to the artist’s fascination with the possibilities of industrial production in China. At once a mirror to the world and a portal to another realm, this work transcends the boundaries of sculpture, anchoring itself firmly as a symbol of timeless, contemplative power.