A quick look at the Armory Show last night left us fascinated with and longing to come back for these five monumental sculptural works by the artists from China, Japan, Germany, UK and India.

Liu Wei at Lehman Maupin Gallery

Merely a Mistake II, 2009 — 2011
Doors and door frames, wooden beams, acrylic board, stainless steel, iron.

Liu Wei’s installations are so layered and complex, there is no single word to describe them. A combination of discarded objects and measured geometrical compositions is magically transformed into architectural forms. The wooden pillars (or oversized portals?) are open for interpretation as they draw you into the urban landscape of the Armory Show aimed to shed light on contemporary art from China this year.

See more photos from the highlights from The Armory Show

Yutaka Sone at David Zwirner Gallery

Little Manhattan, 2007 — 2009
Marble

Yutaka Sone’s marble Little Manhattan is not your ordinary model of the city. It brings our perception of the New York City skyline to a whole new level by juxtaposing it to the land on which it is based upon. If you ever witnessed a construction site from a top floor in Manhattan you most certainly wondered how deep this magnificent rock is. Sone offers us his version of the familiar. First the sculpture draws your attention with its gleaming white linearly chiseled body and the next moment you find yourself devotedly inspecting meticulously rendered architecture and, if you happen to live in NYC — looking for your own house on that grid. And then you suddenly realize that bridges are also “rooted”…

Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle at Christopher Grimes Gallery, Santa Monica and Galerie Thomas Schulte, Berlin

Storm Prototype II
Fiberglass and aluminum alloy foil

Things are not always what they seem. This is particularly true when you are looking at Storm Prototype that might appear too heavy to be hung from the ceiling by strings. In fact, these shiny metallic amorphic shapes are made of lightweight fiberglass. We love the contrasts the artist implemented throughout this elegant meteorological work. (Exclusive video interview upcoming on galleryIntell)

Jason Martin at Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki

Behemoth, 2012
Virgin cork and pure pigment (ivory black)

Jason’s Martin massive black “cube” is truly hypnotic. Measuring three by three meters at its base and two and a half meters in height. What can be more supreme than a three-dimensional rendering of the Suprematist masterpiece of all times? Pigmented layers of stacked virgin cork create an unmatched texture brought to you by Jason Martin, who you are probably familiar with through his hand-worked pigment paintings. Martin ultimately transcended two-dimensionality, the step that he’s confidently moved towards to throughout his career, and he mastered the task phenomenally.

Tallur L.N. at Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

Obituary Note, 2013
Burnt wood and bronze

A contemporary artifact by India-born Tallur L.N. is a masterful appropriation of his cultural heritage. The contrast of burnt wood and brass, the sculptural element typically framing Hindu deities creates a sacred and mysterious atmosphere and leaves you fascinated by Tallur’s skills as a sculptor. The alternative element Tallur brought to this work is not accidental as it resonates beautifully with Hindu mythology that relies upon the idea of creation through destruction.

This article © galleryIntell. Reporting by Kira Sidorova. Images © galleryIntell