ARTISTS
Rodrigo Sassi: Rizoma
Modernism, especially in the field of architecture, followed functional principles with an emphasis on rationality and the use of simple geometric shapes. It also incorporated materials such as concrete, which allowed new constructive perspectives. Rodrigo Sassi dialogues with modernist ideas, but, instead of refusing the decorative in search of a cleaner aesthetic, he explores other possibilities of ornament.
In a recent work at the Museu da Inconfid锚ncia, in Ouro Preto (MG) 鈥攁n institution that has partnered with MAM S茫o Paulo in this project鈥�, the artist renewed notions on baroque from the perspective of contemporary art. It is precisely from the intersection between modern art and colonial art that his work developed. With references to panels by Burle Marx and Athos Bulc茫o, typical of the modern architecture by Rino Levi and Oscar Niemeyer, the artist also explores contradictions in modern design. Among them is the emphasis on the working class, always undervalued, but fundamental for any construction. Hence, the artist handcrafts concrete modules using traditional building techniques.
The work presents itself as a large high-relief constructed with wooden casings that serve as temporary mold for each of the modules. With them, it is possible to model the concrete, a typical civil construction material which supports heavy loads. Starting from a central horizontal line, sinuous shapes that are gray as cement snake up the wall in different sized compositions. Ten different pieces can fit together and create multiple patterns.
Instead of merging with the background wall, the concrete held up by screws stands out and distinguishes itself. As the visitor walks, the modules reveal themselves and, little by little, gaps and free spaces become evident. The contrast between the flat surface and the three-dimensional space is accentuated and the organic shapes, characterized by curved lines found in nature, meld together with the volumes of regular geometry, common in concrete architecture.
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Modernism, especially in the field of architecture, followed functional principles with an emphasis on rationality and the use of simple geometric shapes. It also incorporated materials such as concrete, which allowed new constructive perspectives. Rodrigo Sassi dialogues with modernist ideas, but, instead of refusing the decorative in search of a cleaner aesthetic, he explores other possibilities of ornament.
In a recent work at the Museu da Inconfid锚ncia, in Ouro Preto (MG) 鈥攁n institution that has partnered with MAM S茫o Paulo in this project鈥�, the artist renewed notions on baroque from the perspective of contemporary art. It is precisely from the intersection between modern art and colonial art that his work developed. With references to panels by Burle Marx and Athos Bulc茫o, typical of the modern architecture by Rino Levi and Oscar Niemeyer, the artist also explores contradictions in modern design. Among them is the emphasis on the working class, always undervalued, but fundamental for any construction. Hence, the artist handcrafts concrete modules using traditional building techniques.
The work presents itself as a large high-relief constructed with wooden casings that serve as temporary mold for each of the modules. With them, it is possible to model the concrete, a typical civil construction material which supports heavy loads. Starting from a central horizontal line, sinuous shapes that are gray as cement snake up the wall in different sized compositions. Ten different pieces can fit together and create multiple patterns.
Instead of merging with the background wall, the concrete held up by screws stands out and distinguishes itself. As the visitor walks, the modules reveal themselves and, little by little, gaps and free spaces become evident. The contrast between the flat surface and the three-dimensional space is accentuated and the organic shapes, characterized by curved lines found in nature, meld together with the volumes of regular geometry, common in concrete architecture.
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