The designer's sculpture
The approach of designers and sculptors is usually exactly opposite, remarks Johanna Agerman Ross in her introductory essay to Konstantin Grcic's current exhibition at Galerie Kreo in Paris. While the sculptor sculpts, i.e. removes the form from the material, the designer achieves the result by adding and assembling.
With his objects for the exhibition "Volumes", Grcic therefore enters unfamiliar terrain: the six objects he shows there were each cut from a block of Bleu de Savoie marble. Afterwards they were not polished as usual, but sandblasted, which gives them a rough surface that is not dissimilar to the original state.
Grcic's six objects play with the concepts of usefulness and functionality. They all seem to serve a mysterious rite. Each of them could be part of a ceremonial act, they seem so clearly created for a task, even if the viewer cannot read it.
This game culminates in the two circular holes in each object: the marble blocks are pierced - allegedly in order to be able to transport them with the help of a rod stuck through them. Konstantin Grcic derives this detail from the foot of the Arco lamp of the Castiglioni brothers. But with Grcic the usefulness is only ostensible, because the bore does not balance the weight, but is arranged purely according to aesthetic aspects. (fap)
Konstantin Grcic - "Volumes"
Galerie Kreo
31, Rue Dauphine
75006 Paris
until September 10, 2018
Tue. to Sat: 11:00 until 19:00 o'clock
