The fusion of art and design tells a story, portrays emotions, and interprets reality from different perspectives. The result of this combination echoes the artist and designer’s creativity and inner world, reflecting current developments and imaginaries. Some even erase the line between art and design, producing works that embody a variety of techniques and are open to new aesthetics.
In the sixth edition of Personal Structures, some exhibitors work at the intersection between art and design, showcasing artworks that are experimental and multidisciplinary. The European Cultural Centre is proud to present a variety of pieces that go beyond the canonical definition of art and design, and become the result of a dialogue between the two disciplines
In the historical venue of Palazzo Mora, Jacques Jarrige presents an installation that invites visitors to explore it with a contemplative gaze. The artist embraces the raw material and uses its potential shaping it, hammering it, and letting the aluminium guide him in the creation of his sculptures. A short film capturing Jacques’ meditative creative process accompanies the installation, revealing how the presence of the body has always been implied in his work. The artwork, therefore, is experienced by the artist at first while sculpting it, and then by the viewer who becomes an active participant to the work.
Participatory is also an important element in the sculptural creation of Bjørnådal Arkitektstudio titled Spheres, the second part of Il Primo cerchio del Paradiso. The delicate installation is, in fact, the result of a workshop that Hans-Petter Bjørnådal, Lead Architect at the firm, conducted in 2021 with students both from Venice and Kristiansund. The project’s starting point is the sea with the see-through glass spheres taking inspiration from fish eggs which represent life and hope - it implies what the architect thinks is needed in a world filled with dystopian imageries of the future. The sculpture addresses current issues such as climate change, environmental consciousness, and the merits of returning to a simpler way of life. “The project is a Norwegian gesture of simple living, but also a reflection of our current need for a shift in direction and consciousness in order to address climate change,” explains Hans-Petter Bjørnådal.