James Capper b. 1987

In autumn 2024, James Capper presented his new solo display MONITOR at the Royal Academy of Arts, showcasing the prototype for a major new sculpture project alongside recent artist drawings and a specially commissioned short documentary film. Held in the Architecture Window of The Ronald and Rita McAulay Gallery, MONITOR was commissioned by the Ukrainian arts foundation in exile, IZOLYATSIA, and is designed to serve as a nomadic studio for visiting artists in Kyiv. The project is a collaboration between Capper, designer Thomas Pearce, and architect Greg Storrar, continuing Capper's exploration of creating operational sculptures. The centerpiece of the exhibition was an eight-metre-long mobile sculpture with four hydraulic legs, inspired by reptilian movement, capable of navigating difficult terrains such as water and ice. A full-scale prototype of the structure’s wall, created using advanced robotic technology, was on display, demonstrating how the mobile studio could be used by artists to conduct expeditions and creative work in challenging environments.

The idea for MONITOR originated during Capper’s residency with IZOLYATSIA in Kyiv in 2018. Initially intended to explore the terrains surrounding the Dnieper River and Kyiv’s industrial areas, the project evolved after the Russian invasion in 2022 to reflect the need for mobile, resilient creative spaces. The design incorporates Capper's interest in human-machine interaction and biomimicry. The prototype’s walls feature integrated tools and furniture, making the structure a multifunctional space for artists. IZOLYATSIA and the MONITOR team are working to develop the project further, aiming to offer satellite studios to support the creative rebuilding of communities in Ukraine.

Inspired by the movement of insects and evolution of vertebrae in walking species, Capper uses his ability as a steel fabricator and mobile hydraulics engineer to make sculptures that walk across landscapes. Their hydraulic systems hum into action, animated by complex problem-solving strategies and an artist driven not just to create but to understand.

And now to Broken Hill, Australia’s longest running mining town, where Capper’s sculptures navigate the outback—which you’ll see projected on the gallery wall and feel in the dirt beneath your feet—in a film made in collaboration with Australian filmmaker Alexander George. Here is a landscape and community shaped by mineral extraction, confronting our chequered history of industrial innovation, and ultimately, the cost of progress and an uncertain future. Capper draws inspiration from all over: from 450-million-year-old fossil footprints of creatures walking between freshwater pools in Western Australia, shedding light on how life transitioned out of the ocean and onto land; to Broken Hill’s cinematic terrain, from Mad Max to Wake in Fright; and even an ‘artificial cow’ that would carry food for an army on the move, built by Chinese commander Zhu Ge-Liang almost 1800 years ago. 

James Capper’s work AERO CAB creates a modern platform for visitors to consider the role of the engineer in relation to creating solutions in fragile natural environments in places such as Verbier, and to the possibilities of broadening the scope from the technical aspects of engineering to those aspects that directly affect communities and the environment. Capper who is a pioneering artist and engineer known for his innovative approach to sculpture and machinery, made a significant contribution to the discourse surrounding climate change with his work, AERO CAB. Inspired by his explorations of glaciers and a profound concern for the environment, the artist embarked on a journey to merge art, engineering, and environmental activism. Capper's fascination with glaciers began with a desire to understand the impact of climate change on these majestic ice formations. Witnessing firsthand the alarming rate at which glaciers were receding due to rising global temperatures, he felt compelled to translate this experience into his work. His goal was not only to raise awareness about the plight of glaciers but also to inspire action through his art.

AERO CAB emerged as a culmination of Capper's interdisciplinary approach. It was a testament to his ability to blend aesthetics with functionality, all while addressing pressing environmental issues. At its core, the AERO CAB is a sustainable transportation solution designed to navigate the challenging terrain of glaciers while minimizing ecological footprint. The design of AERO CAB was both elegant and pragmatic. It featured lightweight materials and aerodynamic shapes inspired by nature, allowing it to glide effortlessly over the icy landscape. Powered by renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, AERO CAB is an example of sustainable innovation in transportation. James Capper's AERO CAB is more than just a mode of transportation; it is a catalyst for dialogue and action in the face of climate change in glacial environements. By harnessing the power of art and engineering, Capper demonstrated that innovative solutions are within reach if we are willing to confront the challenges of our time with creativity and resolve.

MUDSKIPPER, Thames River, Battersea Power Station, London, United Kingdom, 18 July - 4 September 2021

TREADPAD exists as both a sculpture and an attachment part. Designed for the use on Capper’s hydraulic sculptures, it is part of the WALKING SHIP family. The sculpture has two components, the cradle that the pads sit upon and the pads themselves. The former echoes an anchor, while the latter resembles a foot, thus a likeness is found between the mechanical and the biological. The cradle allows for the pads to be moved by crane or loader, hinting at the performative aspect of Capper’s sculpture: there is the stored potential of movement even while the sculpture exists as static.

TREADPAD features in Capper’s MUDSKIPPER commission.

PROTOTYPES, Southwark Park Galleries, London, United Kingdom, 14 October - 6 December 2015

ATLAS A SPOLETO! / TELESTEP A SPOLETO!, Mahler and Lewitt Studios Spoleto, Italy, 25 June – 10 July 2016

James Capper brought two new sculptures to Spoleto – TELESTEP and ATLAS – for a residency with the Mahler & LeWitt Studios and an exhibition at the Festival dei Due Mondi. Capper’s sculptures employ the materials of mechanical engineering and the techniques of industrial design to develop the possibilities of sculpture and performance. Beginning with concept drawings, Capper designs and builds automotive machines that gouge, mark and score the materials on which they are used. They are mobile sculptures and sculptural tools in performance.

TELESTEP, from Capper’s ‘mountaineering’ division of sculptures, was displayed in a disused shopspace in Via Arco di Druso. It was shown alongside a film made on a mountain near Gubbio by Matthew Burdis during a residency with the Mahler & LeWitt Studios. The films shows TELESTEP being tested and demonstrated in the rugged Umbrian landscape. ATLAS is a mobile sculpture which operates from a concrete plinth. Over time it carves away at this plinth using specially designed mills. During the Festival dei Due Mondi, ATLAS moved between three concrete plinths placed at Basilica di San Pietro, Piazza della Signoria and the Rocca Albonorziana. At each site it spent several days carving its plinth. The sculptured blocks stayed In their locations for the duration of the Festival – either waiting for ATLAS to arrive, or showing the sculpted remains of the block on which ATLAS has already worked.