to Kengo Kuma
Gianluca Marziani
Curator and critic of contemporary art
Square, rectangle, circle, triangle ... geometry as a dynamic symbology, to reflect on shared ethical values, models of sociocultural equilibrium, and on systems to connect people and communities. Cristina MMR Bonucci has built three domus on a small scale that are a kind of spiritual and meditative scale model, half visionary sculpture and half sensorial scenery. These three architectural islands speak of the sacred and of synaesthesia, of integration and of dialogue, of beauty and of morality. Three mental spaces that tell of a personal voyage with universal appeal, built around symbolic geometries that define nature and its biological cycles.
The show at Palazzo Collicola Arti Visive pays homage to the architectural vision of Kengo Kuma and the holistic spirit of his buildings, amid the scale of the body and the aura of the planet. The works are set up in the Hall on the Main Floor, a room that surrounds us with its theatrical squareness and dizzying height. The volumetric wooden ceiling becomes the ideal counterpoint of the three domus, a geometric sky that participates in the scenic precision of the sculptures, the essential rhythm of their elements, the suspended gravity of the geometry.
The three sculptures integrate outside elements in the severity of the buildings. In the first domus, the artist introduces symbolic archetypes connected to the spiritual realm and to the never-ending search for metaphysical spaces. In the second domus are powerful contemporary people chosen by the artist according to interpretative affinities. For the third domus, the artist chose the evocation of emotions, sentiments, internal inspirations, which link the archetypes of the first domus to the real characters of the second domus.
The triangulation of content integrates the differences and creates a common global conscience of life, relations and beauty.
TO KENGO KUMA 1
The work is an homage to the temples of Kyoto and makes use of the habitation theme to present the idea of a dialogue between different cultures and religious archetypes. The sculpture is slightly raised from the ground and embodies the harmonious correlation between Buddhism, Shintoism and Catholicism. The lifted structure represents how spirituality can elevate, while the bamboo canes stand for the synesthetic union between Man and Nature. On each of the three sliding doors is an image which represents the aforementioned religions: Shintoism is represented by the Torii, the gate that is considered sacred by the state religion of Japan; Buddhism by the Bodhi Tree under which it is said Siddhartha Gautama received enlightenment; Catholicism by the Virgin of Tenderness, the quintessential Mother and in perfect harmony with the open values of aspirational architecture. Finally, three texts serve to explain the respective religions, as well as to recreate a visual and philosophical comparison between the original scriptures.
TO KENGO KUMA 2
The second domus is inspired by traditional Japanese pagodas. Inside them are people that define the artist's moral narration: Emperor Akihito is placed at the centre of a chrysanthemum, a floral symbol of the Empire; the Crown Prince Naruhito is connected to the sacred cherry flower; the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella is shown with the Italian Tricolour flag; Pietro Grasso (President of the Italian Senate) with the olive branch; lastly, two women, Virginia Raggi and Yuriko Koike, respectively the mayors of Rome and Tokyo, are shown with Trajan's Column and the Tower with folds of Kengo Kuma.
TO KENGO KUMA 3
While the first sculpture enhances the role of the square and the second that of the rectangle, in this sculpture it is the circle and triangle that are highlighted. The images, printed on canvas and fixed on plexiglass, have an ethereal quality: an aurora, a sunset and a night. A sort of escape from a bi-dimensional reality towards a meeting point in which we can become "one", despite our vastly different histories, cultures and civilizations. The centre of the domus contains a small mattress from which one can relax and observe the different phases of each day. The room is raised from the ground and has three small staircases located around the circular perimeter of the pavement.
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