The making of “Soft as a Stone” exhibition, opening at La Galería by Lastcrit on Wednesday 20th March, 2024
Soft sculpture created by Dagmar Ringsmose during the workshop given by artist and in-house tutor Anna Irina Russell
FOCUS ON
Drawing influences from an eclectic mix of disciplines like architecture, cinema, performance art, sculpture and Land Art, Installation Art defies easy categorization. What makes Installation Art different from sculpture or other traditional art forms is that it is a complete unified experience, rather than a display of separate, individual artworks. It is important to point out the idea of an ’embodied viewer’, whose sense of touch, smell and sound are important as their sense of vision. The immersive nature of the many installations encourages the viewer to physically enter into the work, often transforming the public’s perception of space.
As we examined various works during the Soft Sculpture and Installation Workshop, we pondered the evolving role of the audience, from passive observer to active participant, within the immersive tapestry of installation environments.
For me it was important to share with the students, not only international references and big names in the art scene, but artists that are actively shaping the contemporary art scene in Barcelona and Spain.
In order to demystify the notion that installations must rely on grandiosity and opulence, we went through some references of installations that are produced on shoestring budgets.
In our second session, we delved deeper into the world of Soft Sculpture, immersing ourselves in the works of artists who push the boundaries of materiality, from exploring the deceptive nature of soft-appearing materials to experimenting with scale and distortion. Since the 1960s, textiles have undergone a renaissance within artistic practices, serving as a medium to defy norms and challenge societal structures. Historically undervalued in the hierarchies of Western art history, textiles were
relegated to the realm of ‘craft,’ gendered as feminine, and marginalized within scholarly discourse and the art market.
In their final presentations, the students created a beautiful constellation of installations and soft-material artworks that celebrate the resilience and complexity of textiles while encouraging a broader dialogue on the ways in which soft sculptures, whether crafted from traditional or unconventional materials, can contribute to reshaping our understanding of the world.
How can textiles unpack, question, unspool, and therefore reimagine the world around us?
Since the 1960s, textiles have undergone a renaissance within artistic practices, serving as a medium to defy norms and challenge societal structures. Historically undervalued in the hierarchies of Western art history, they were relegated to the realm of ‘craft,’ a label that, for years, has perpetuated its marginalization and gendered associations, relegated to the domain of ‘women’s work’ and marginalized within scholarly discourse and the art market. ‘Soft as a stone’ aims to transcend these limitations and redefine perceptions surrounding soft sculptures.
Textiles, integral to the human journey from birth to death, emerge as a powerful medium through which artists can reimagine the worlds we inhabit. Through the tactile language of fiber and the unexpected textures of so-called ‘hard’ materials, the exhibited artworks communicate multi-layered narratives about lived experiences, invoking vital issues.
The title of the exhibition itself, ‘Soft as a Stone’, encapsulates this dichotomy, prompting a reconsideration of the softness inherent in seemingly rigid materials, inviting a dialogue on the resilience and complexity of textiles, whether crafted from traditional or unconventional materials, reshaping our understanding of contemporary sculpture.
In-house Tutor Anna Irina Russell [1993] is an artist based in Barcelona. She holds a MA in Sound Art and a BA of Arts (UB). She is part of Radio Web Macba Working Group, and has been a long term resident in Hangar. She has recently won Miquel Casablancas 2022 award and has shown her work at Écart [Canada], Bombon Projects [Bcn], MACBA, La Casa Encendida [Madrid], Blueproject Foundation [Bcn], Salón [Madrid], CCCB, Westwerk [Hamburg], among others.
Interview with Wesley/Jinn Hay