Genius Loci
2008
Curator of the Genius Loci research group 2008
The research group Genius Loci exhibited at:
XIII Biennale Internazionale di Scultura,Carrara, IT
NIKI the Dutch Institute for Art History in Florence, IT
Auditorium of the KABK in the Hague,NL.
.:more:. (the background and the individual pieces exhibited)
Excerpts of articles about the Genius Loci research group:
From an article in the Nieuwe K 15:
In 2006 at the 12th edition of the Bien- nale di Carrara, Michela Pelusio and Vignir Karlsson (at the time students of the ArtScience master program) were invited to exhibit their light- and sound-sculptures. LightSpeaker and Metalight formed an exception at the Biennale di Carrara, for their synesthe- tic approach. The current edition of
the 13th Biennale di Carrara is entitled Nothing but sculpture. (...)
The section Sculpting Time, in the main academy building, focuses on the introduction of the time dimen- sion in sculpture. Sculpting Time hosts young artists from different European art academies. This section hosts some
of the pieces created during the ArtSci- ence research group Genius Loci, which investigated the spirit of the place in the mountains of Carrara, during a two week stay in April 2008. The pieces were inspired by the anarchic movement
of Carrara, the natural and artificial sounds of the caves, and the industrial and unsustainable exploitation of the marble mountains.
From an article in the Nieuwe K 14:Michela Pelusio, the initiator of the project Genius Loci in Italy described the contemporary situation of Carrara:'500 years ago Michelangelo walked the same roads to choose his marble blocks, which, in his view, already contained the form that was later freed by him (making the world's most famous art works). Many artists have walked these paths, but few contemporary artists are walking them. In contemporary art it seems almost as if marble was forgotten. Perhaps, marble, the eternal material, is not appropriate for ephemeral conceptual and virtual art forms. Marble is less and less used for sculpture, and mostly for industrial and non-artistic purposes (most blocks are made into powder for use in chemicals), while these mountains are changing into Swiss cheese with an astonishing speed.The rich history and panorama of the marble caves are quickly disappearing.There are no laws or regulations that limit this extraction in any way.What do artists feel when they now walk the roads that Michelangelo walked, enthusiastic to find his piece of marble. Which feelings does this site of devastate mountains give?
http://www.niki-florence.org/
http://www.2008.labiennaledicarrara.it/
http://www.kabk.nl/