Never Mind

Never Mind stands in Antwerp as a sculpture by British artist Richard Deacon. The work belongs to the Middelheim Museum’s contemporary outdoor collection and explores how materials shape form. Its smooth silhouette resembles a large balloon or blimp. Deacon first built the sculpture from birchwood, using curved planks inspired by barrel and boat construction. Sunlight and water damaged the original wooden version. The sculpture was later refabricated in stainless steel, preserving its rounded shape for outdoor conditions. Stainless steel gives Never Mind a futuristic appearance. Its heavy material seems to float, creating a visible tension between weight, expansion, and apparent lightness. Its history moves from timber construction to stainless steel. A collaboration between Deacon and the museum led from failed timber construction towards a more durable metal reconstruction. Never Mind forms the centre of the exhibition Some Time. That exhibition placed the sculpture within Deacon’s wider exploration of refabrication, variation, ceramics, and stainless steel. The surrounding sculpture park adds historic and modern works. Within that setting, Never Mind connects public art with questions about preservation, experimentation, and the consequences of construction choices. Never Mind carries its history in steel.