White Cube: El Anatsui Releases Three Limited-Edition Prints from Vienna Opera Safety Curtain
On July 1, 2026, White Cube announced three limited-edition prints by El Anatsui—Male, Female, and Head—derived from his XOHANAMI safety curtain project for the Vienna State Opera's 2025/26 season. The prints are produced at Chavanne & Pechmann's studio in Apetlon, Austria, using life-size wooden figures from the original composition. All proceeds support museum in progress, the organization that has commissioned a living artist annually since 1998 to transform the opera's safety curtain. The editions offer collectors a chance to acquire works that translate Anatsui's sculptural language into graphic form.
The Signal
The release marks a rare opportunity to own a tangible fragment of one of Europe's most prominent recurring public art commissions. For collectors, the prints bridge Anatsui's signature use of found materials—the wooden trays depicted in XOHANAMI date to his 1970s practice—and his ongoing engagement with large-scale public installations. The proceeds directly fund future commissions, reinforcing a model where private acquisition sustains institutional public art.
- Artists: El Anatsui
- Galleries: White Cube
- Museums: Vienna State Opera, museum in progress
- Locations: Vienna, London
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