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Jakarta Post

An amalgam of art architecture and tech

Everything around us has been greatly influenced by rapid developments in technology, including the evolution of design and architecture, which essentially define our place in the world.

Agus Dwi Hastutik (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, December 12, 2017

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An amalgam of art architecture and tech The Clouds by Cosmas D. Gozali (Italian Cultural Institute Jakarta/File)

T

he union between art and architecture never fails to charm those who enjoy classic structures, but the use of technology will further push architects to create mind-blowing works of art.  

Such incorporation of technology and architecture is reflected in the works of architects Antonio Pio Saracino and Cosmas D. Gozali, who shared their vision on architecture during a recent seminar titled “Future Art-chictecture” at the Italian Cultural Institute Jakarta (IIC).

Cosmas, a leading and award-winning Indonesian architect whose works have been widely exhibited, said celebrated architect Le Corbusier’s design concept provided a huge inspiration for him to install his own artwork.

In one of his works, titled The Clouds, exhibited in Grand Kemang Hotel in 2016, the implementation of technology could be seen in the synthetic tarps and plastic materials that he used. The Clouds was arranged abstractly like a red sky, reflecting the anger of nature toward exploitation by humans and their greed.

Cosmas explained that he also analyzed the forms and structures through computer programs to know the modular system used for the design of The Clouds. The rest of the process was done manually.

Through The Clouds, Cosmas expressed his critique of human behavior and their overuse of natural resources, which has created an imbalance in our environment.

Space to Human Behavior by Cosmas D. Gozali
Space to Human Behavior by Cosmas D. Gozali (Italian Cultural Institute Jakarta/File)

In another work, Space to Human Behaviour, Cosmas used ornamental bamboo as the main material. He treated the bamboo using contemporary methods to create a tunnel where the bamboo would move and made sounds similar to that produced by a traditional music instrument called an angklung.

“What I always want every time I make an art installation is to have people experience the space,” he said.

Meanwhile, nature has become a constant source of inspiration for Antonio Pio Saracino, an Italian architect based in New York.

 Saracino’s works have been featured in diverse locations spanning from the United States, South America, the Middle East and Europe.

“The idea of nature is dominant in my work, and everything we have been doing throughout our history comes from nature,” he said.  

The Guardian Superhero by Antonio Pio Saracino
The Guardian Superhero by Antonio Pio Saracino (Italian Cultural Institute Jakarta/File)

His two sculptures, The Guardians: Hero and Superhero, were installed permanently at the entrance to New York City’s Bryant Park.

“Five years ago, I was asked [by the Embassy of Italy] to design sculptures that represent Italy. They asked me to look at Michelangelo,” Saracino said, adding that the two sculptures were a gift from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a symbol of Italy’s cultural heritage in the US.

The two sculptures were hugely inspired by Michelangelo’s David. About 4 meters tall, the white marble and polished stainless steel sculptures soar upward, creating an outline that suggests the movement of the figures within their environment, and connect with the architecture of the surrounding skyscrapers in Manhattan.

In another work, Museum of Photography, Saracino created an installation that highlighted an abstractly shaped eye in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, which could only be seen properly when people fly over it.

“The idea was to create a giant eye that is visible from the sky,” Saracino said.

The Guardian Hero by Antonio Pio Saracino
The Guardian Hero by Antonio Pio Saracino (Italian Cultural Institute Jakarta/File)

On top of the roof, a dynamic visual mechanism is applied, which makes images of the museum roof change depending on the angle at which they are viewed from the air. The Museum’s oblique roof has a series of dimensional panels where people can see the image of Sheikh Mohammed from one viewing angle and the image of a falcon from the opposite viewing angle.

At night, the museum’s roof lights up the sky with a system of lamps projecting a cone of light.

For the two renowned architects, architecture is not simply work — it’s a way of life. They see designs as an aesthetic thing, as well as something that provides essential functions for human life.

Architecture has always been intertwined and affects almost every part of society. While past architecture might convey the styles of art at the time it was made, the future will always be evolving with changes in society and technology.

“The future [of architecture] depends on many factors. It depends on the way we construct the building, aspects that we integrate and everything we build. Creativity is always there,” Saracino said.

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The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.

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