Vas Florum
Vas Florum is a series of unique sculptural pieces that reinvent the concept of the vessel. In each artwork, cast with tinted resin, flowers are embedded in the body of the form itself, renegotiating the relationship between flowers and their display. Conceived as ‘time capsules’, each sculpture contains flowers that resonate with individual and collective memories, investigating how relationships and emotions, love and friendship can be embodied in inanimate objects.
Chosen species range from those that have been artificially bred for aesthetic purposes, to common ‘weeds’ that are often overlooked yet can thrive in the most inhospitable conditions. Using natural waste material is particularly important in this context: reclaiming plants that have fulfilled their commercial use, we extend their lifecycle and give their ephemerality renewed purpose. Sourced from befriended florists, private gardeners as well as various “natural” environments, the botanic matter becomes the sole bearer of meaning that guides the viewer through narratives that range from intimate and private to pressing global matters that are commonly marked under “Anthropocene” label. In addition to their experimental materiality, the Vas Florum pieces embody the most transitory aspects of life – people’s relationships with each other, with nature, their perceptions of life and death, and of their emotions – through inanimate objects that inherently symbolise the passing of time.
Displayed across the Carpenters Workshop Gallery's Paris headquarters, the exhibition was designed by scenographer and long-time collaborator Jean de Piepape, who has built a symbolic glasshouse environment surrounding the sculptures with a dark green background. A formally experimental video work by Simon Dawson and Matt Towndrow complemented the presentation, offering a glimpse behind the scenes of the creative process.
Chosen species range from those that have been artificially bred for aesthetic purposes, to common ‘weeds’ that are often overlooked yet can thrive in the most inhospitable conditions. Using natural waste material is particularly important in this context: reclaiming plants that have fulfilled their commercial use, we extend their lifecycle and give their ephemerality renewed purpose. Sourced from befriended florists, private gardeners as well as various “natural” environments, the botanic matter becomes the sole bearer of meaning that guides the viewer through narratives that range from intimate and private to pressing global matters that are commonly marked under “Anthropocene” label. In addition to their experimental materiality, the Vas Florum pieces embody the most transitory aspects of life – people’s relationships with each other, with nature, their perceptions of life and death, and of their emotions – through inanimate objects that inherently symbolise the passing of time.
Displayed across the Carpenters Workshop Gallery's Paris headquarters, the exhibition was designed by scenographer and long-time collaborator Jean de Piepape, who has built a symbolic glasshouse environment surrounding the sculptures with a dark green background. A formally experimental video work by Simon Dawson and Matt Towndrow complemented the presentation, offering a glimpse behind the scenes of the creative process.
| YEAR: 2023 |
COLLABORATORS: Marcin Rusak Tamara Pilawska Baranowska Jean de Piepape Igor Jansen Mateusz Wappa |
PHOTO CREDITS: Benjamin Baccarani |
LOCATION: Paris, France |
