Created to be presented to the public during the 58th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, EXPANDED is comprised of original creations by Carsten Höller, Julião Sarmento and Marina Abramović, conceived to be displayed in a public context and made of Portuguese stone.
The artworks by the three artists conceptualize our notions of space, time, place and scale, and appeal to the expansion of the culturally-based or self-imposed limitations that often constrain us. Immersed within the gardens of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, they call for interaction and experimentation, shifting the visitor’s relationship with the surrounding environment, in a dynamic and constant challenge.
CARSTEN HÖLLER
Dice (Limestone)
2019
Carsten Höller | © SlideshowDice (Limestone) is composed of around 20 tons of Lioz limestone, one of the most used Portuguese stones, known for its unique texture, which is characterized by the fossils it contains. The piece questions our relentless search for control, a recurring theme in the German artist’s work. Shaped as a die, the quintessential symbol of chance, it invites visitors to directly confront the definition of uncertainty by allowing a physical exploration of its various openings. As such, the sculpture changes when used by the public, creating moments of unpredictability and reminding us of that sense of adventure so prevalent during childhood.
JULIÃO SARMENTO
Azul Cadoiço
2019
Julião Sarmento | © SlideshowThe artwork by Julião Sarmento is named after stone that shapes it: Azul Cadoiço, one of the most compact and consistent of all Portuguese limestones. This piece revisits the famous Cube Ashtray by Italian designer Bruno Munari (created in 1957), while adopting the scale of Donald Judd’s minimalist sculptures (a series initiated in the late sixties). This innovative link between two iconic design and contemporary art pieces is complemented with an unusual element: wooden pallets, here elevated to the status of a work of art.
MARINA ABRAMOVIĆ
Chair for Human Use (II)
from the series Transitory Objects for Human Use
2015/2019
Marina Abramović | © SlideshowMarina Abramović, the pioneering performance artist, has been conceptualizing a series of objects for public use that she calls Transitory Objects for Human Use. As if daring visitors themselves to participate in a performance, the two chairs designed by the artist for the EXPANDED exhibition invite spectators to evade their traditionally passive role and take action. Comprised of one of the rarest types of Portuguese granites, Gabro de Odivelas, they connect through quartz crystals from Arkansas that, according to the artist, generate an energetic synchronicity between those involved.
The three artworks of EXPANDED were conceptualized to be displayed outdoors and carry an important component of interaction and immersiveness that provides visitors with moments of experimentation and confrontation that underline the value of art and culture in public spaces. Produced in Portuguese stone, a million-year-old raw material, they share a unifying element that provides them with a deep dimension of timelessness and resilience – contradicting the chaos and superficiality that sometimes permeate our contemporary lifestyle.
Integrating the protected area of the Vatican Chapels, the exhibition will be open to the public until the 24th of November 2019, and requires the booking of a guided tour in advance: www.cini.it | +39 0412710237
Fondazione Giorgio Cini
Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore,
30124 Venezia VE, Italy
EXPANDED was developed in the context of First Stone, an international experimental research programme that explores the vast potential of Portuguese stone. Focusing on the aesthetic, physical and mechanical characteristics of several types of stone, the programme associates the stone extraction and transformation industry with design, architecture and art, in order to find innovative uses and applications for this million-year-old natural resource.
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