English
Deutsch
until 08.06. | #4251ARTatBerlin | Luisa Catucci Gallery (Brunnenstraße) shows from 26. April 2024 the duo-exhibition IN-VISIBLE by the artists Antti Pussinen and Pablo Griss .
Within the vacuum of space, energy takes the form of electromagnetic waves characterized by oscillating electric and magnetic fields. Sound remains silent, unable to propagate without a medium, preserving an unbroken cosmic silence. Conversely, in our reality, sound acts as a vibrant thread weaving through the tapestry of existence, resonating within the harmonies and discordances of everyday life. The amalgamation of these energies, coupled with reflective and other effects, not only shapes our environment and reality but also influences perceptual experiences in both visual and auditory domains.
Finnish artist Antti Pussinen and Venezuelan artist Pablo Griss share a fascination with the interplay of these physical phenomena and revolve their artistic practices around this intrigue. In their exploration, both artists unravel the profound connection between external forces shaping reality and the subtle reverberations imprinted within the intricate tapestry of existence. They share an urge to interweave art, science, and philosophy, stimulating the viewer with masterpieces working as reminders of the cosmic interconnectivity embracing all existence.
The acceptance of the cosmic total interconnectivity holds profound philosophical implications, challenging traditional notions of individuality and separation. Embracing the interconnected nature of the cosmos prompts a reevaluation of human perspectives, emphasizing inherent interconnectedness not only with the universe but also with one another.
On the other hand, the aesthetic outcomes of Antti Pussinen’s and Pablo Griss’s artistic expressions are markedly divergent. The common ground between the two artists appears to be their shared fascination with imperceptible elements, coupled with a mutual impetus to transmute these invisible nuances into the visible spectrum—aptly encapsulated by the exhibition’s title, IN-VISIBLE. The decision to curate an exhibition dialogue featuring these two particular artists is further motivated by the visual counterpoint that distinguishes their respective works.
Pablo Griss, Diamagnetic Intervention. Burgundy and Rose, 181x250cm, Courtesy Luisa Catucci Galerie
Pablo Griss navigates the fertile intersection of art history, drawing inspiration from Minimalism, Kinetics, Neo-Geo, and Geometry. He forges his unique visual language through a series of interventions aimed at liberating himself from the classical shapes and visual conventions of these movements. Gone are the classical squares, triangles, and circles, replaced by rhomboidal shapes and sharp, scalpel-like lines. These elements seem to hover atop his compositions, symbolic of the tools he wields to intervene, cut, and deconstruct the established codes of geometric art.
Color plays a pivotal role, rendered flat and dense, each hue meticulously chosen. Griss continues the exploration of colour pioneered by his predecessors like Carlos Cruz-Diez, but abandons the illusionistic techniques of chiaroscuro and vanishing points favored in Op art.
Pablo Griss opts instead for concrete forms and alternating colours. His palette can be bold and vibrant, echoing the tradition of Venezuelan artists. Like in his series “Color Diamagnetic Field”, where he combines the formal aspects of the colour-field and the vibration produced by combining nuances that repel each other, creating a rhythm between analogous and complementary colours. Other times, his palette is subdued and bichromatic, reminiscent of minimalist compositions, like in his series “Kinetic Deconstruction”, working as a meditative window inviting the viewer into self-awareness, by not getting distracted by the tricks proposed by kinetic art artists. In Griss’s opinion, there are no shortcuts in art: the mastery of technique grants you true freedom, while gimmicks are what enslave you.
Griss’s brushstroke is deliberate and confident, and his compositions are rigorous and clean, and at the same time extremely difficult to paint, executed only by mastering complete control over the canvas, the material, and the hand, a tangible expression of unwavering willpower. The Venezuelan artist perceives flow as a visual approximation to sublime natural processes of vibration and integration through symmetry, sharpened by the reflective characteristics of colours and exalted by the radiation of light and energy emanating from the specific architecture of the particular geometry forming his different series of work.
In “Magnetic Color Continuum”, for example , the paintings evoke fine recollections registered as a continuum exchange of energetic encounters like the breeze or ocean waves.
Pablo Griss – CMC triple violet center white, 82×106, Courtesy Luisa Catucci Galerie
In contrast with the rigorousness of the constructions and execution of the paintings of the Venezuelan artist, the Finnish artist Antti Pussinen presents compositions that look like visual imprints of cosmic chaos.
As a conceptual and generative artist, Pussinen is captivated by both technology and the profound sense of insignificance and vulnerability when confronted with natural forces. In the realm of his artistic inquiry, the artist’s endeavors are directed toward the exploration of the manifestation of forms and surfaces that inhabit an intermediary space, simultaneously evoking organic and artificial characteristics. Central to this investigation is the utilization of imagery derived from wave patterns, wherein the inherent complexities of wave dynamics are harnessed to elicit aesthetic expressions.
Generative art, as embraced by Pussinen, involves the use of technological autonomous systems to create artwork features that would traditionally be determined by the artist.
The IN-VISIBLE exhibition will present the latest production by the Finnish artist based on Lissajou curves of both specific and undefined sounds. In the realms of mathematics and physics, Lissajous curves are notable for their graphical depiction of oscillatory and wave phenomena, providing a nuanced exploration of the interrelationship between the frequencies and amplitudes of two disparate waves.
Using recorded voices, or electronic sound waves generated by the artist self on synthesizers, Pussinen launches them through a self-modified colour cathode ray tube, to impress the photograms of those sounds on black and white Fomapan photographic PE paper and plates.
The resultant imagery undergoes further refinement through the optical modulation facilitated by a tilted lens, inducing nuanced variations in image sharpness. Notably, the discernible “raster” present in these compositions serves as a visual artifact arising from the inherent structure of the utilized CRT tube’s colour-separation grid. After the exposure process, each artwork undergoes meticulous hand development within expansive chemical baths, thereby bestowing upon it a nuanced tonal spectrum characterized by the interplay of stark black and white gradients.
Crucially, these artistic endeavours stand as singular and unrepeatable entities, owing to the intricacies inherent within the methodological framework. Indeed, any attempt to replicate an image through identical sonic modulation would invariably yield divergent outcomes, underscoring the immutable uniqueness intrinsic to each art piece.
Having exclusively explored the grayscale spectrum of black and white photographic paper for an extended period, Pussinen sought to introduce another layer of depth and associative possibilities to his work. In an initial endeavour to incorporate colour, he experimented with employing the colour process in his photograms. However, dissatisfied with the outcomes and unable to envision a compelling evolution of his work, he decided to remain within the era characterized by CRTs and black-and-white photography as the pinnacle of technological advancement. Instead, he opted to utilize protein-based photo-retouching colors, historically employed for hand-colouring black-and-white photographs post-development, to achieve his desired aesthetic.
The resulting pieces evoke the appearance of outer space portals leading to alternate dimensions, characterized by an aesthetic that converges at the intersection of Bauhausesque reminiscences and Japanese minimalism influences. This synthesis underscores the idea that sound and energy transcend any constraints of time, space, or culture, resonating across boundaries with boundless freedom.
Another energy that does not accept boundaries and is undoubtedly universal, is the one of Love. In his effort to emphasize the universality of love, Antti Pussinen underscores that love transcends borders, politics, religions, and races. As a testament to this idea, he has prepared a “Wall of Love” for this exhibition, showcasing photograms of the syllables of the word “LOVE” spoken in 11 European languages. Pussinen’s ultimate aspiration is to compile love phonograms from all languages worldwide by the year’s end. The initial triptych featuring the syllables of “Rakkaus” (love in Finnish) is currently on display at the Finnish Institute in Berlin as part of an exhibition curated by Mika Minetti, showcasing works by the Six Finnish Artists of the Year 2024, including Pussinen himself.
Antti Pussinen, Yellow consturct, Courtesy Luisa Catucci Galerie
In the gallery’s “hypogeum,” Antti Pussinen will present his installation titled “Keystone.” A keystone is the uppermost stone of an arch that locks the structure to ensure durability. Additionally, a keystone refers to an effect related to the projection of light, causing the shape of an area to change when light hits the surface, particularly when the light source is not positioned at a right angle to the surface. The installation features a reflective cluster of helium balloons suspended in front of a video projection’s keystone effect test grid. These balloons disrupt the grid’s pursuit of orderliness and predictability by casting convex reflections from their surfaces. As people move around the room, the balloons and their reflections shift randomly in the air. Through this work, Pussinen explores the struggle to control chaos and the inherent impossibility of doing so. In a world where understanding the intricate trajectories and reflections of visible effects is elusive, anything can serve as both a locking and completing key, as well as a legal stone.
Vernissage: Friday, 26. April, 5 – 10 pm
Exhibition period: Friday, 26. April – Saturday, 8. June 2024
To the Gallery
Title image caption: Antti Pussinen und Pablo Griss, Courtesy Luisa Catucci Galerie
Exhibition Antti Pussinen and Pablo Griss – Luisa Catucci Gallery | Zeitgenössische Kunst Berlin – Contemporary Art – Exhibitions Berlin Galleries | ART at Berlin
