An expansive display of pink hues and textures greets each new visitor to the Institute of Contemporary Art. Igshaan Adams’ most recent commission for the museum is an intricate weaving that stretches across the Sandra and Gerald Fineberg Art Wall. The monumental piece, titled “Lynloop,” is an artwork reflective of Adams’ experiences growing up in South Africa. As a new installment in the ICA gallery, “Lynloop” is a delicately constructed and deeply connected work that contemplates movement through space, personal identity and the artist’s continual exploration of desire lines, paths created by pedestrians that fall outside of planned walkways.

There are two elements of this installation which work in tandem. One is the network of pink beads, rope, chain and mohair on the wall, forming an abstract shape that symbolizes a map of pathways. The weaving is modeled after a sports field near Bonteheuwel, the South African town he grew up in. For him, the field was associated with negative feelings and judgment of masculinity. Adams intertwines this specific location with experiences of gender through his use of material. The soft and fluffy pink mohair represents the sports fields as less daunting than how he once saw them. The second element of the installation is a collection of wire sculptures hung from the ceiling. They are cloudlike in appearance and have the same rosy hue as the weaving. Together, the weaving and wire sculptures actualize Adams’ relationship with space in an awe-inspiring way.