Special Project: Casa della Musica Loris Cecchini, 2001

Interview by Jérôme Sans and Pier Luigi Tazzi

How much and in what way are you interested in electronic culture?

I find it interesting from several aspects. First of all, for the perceptual qualities induced by virtuality, in the reading and absorption of the real reference: this happens on various levels, related to both visual devices and sound.

In both virtualization and the real dimension, space and the objects that characterize it are often present in equal measure, but in the former case, the two-dimensional nature of the screen creates a distance and a detachment from the physical qualities of the surrounding reality: what interests me is this kind of loss and filtered reinterpretation conveyed through the usual visual experience, without the use of special technological tools like 3D glasses or datagloves.

What was your approach in creating this project at the House of Music?

I imagined a music box where one perceives a different space through a design that represents a kind of ocean of sound waves, but at the same time, an infinite landscape in its nullification. The idea came from three-dimensional design software, using the horizontal XZ axis as an open space for various possibilities, an area where the audience would take form in an abstract design context, but also directly linked to infographics. This is how the interior was born; for the exterior, the inspiration is quite similar because I was thinking of a rendering process for the surface, a basic step for anyone working with digital media. Rendering is the surface quality applied to the design element: when designing a car, a phone, or architecture, in the final visualization stage, a coating or color is applied to the object; here, the idea was to bring a plastic quality into real space, reminiscent of a kind of toy, like an object straight out of a Lego box.

What is the relationship between this work and the rubber works or photographs for which you are now known?

The choice of rubber as one of the base materials in my work refers to the effect of coating, a covering like skin that envelops and becomes the object in question. In this project, I used industrial plastic pipes in the same way, enhancing the objecthood of the entire architecture. The interior, however, is more distant from my photographic works, which are still based on the principle of constructing a virtual image through models. In both cases, the reference to the surface is strong: in the case of the House of Music, it becomes a three-dimensional space, but also a surface to be composed like a graphic page. I really enjoyed creating this work because it allowed me to take care of the project in its entirety, from the walls to the stage, the bar, the cloakroom, the logo design, the tables, everything that serves as the image of a place, thus creating a connection between my way of making art and practical functions more closely linked to the intended use of the design.

How do you work? Do you only use the computer?

Everything started and developed on the computer. I found the transformation of all these elements extraordinary as they take on physical weight and become real from the screen of a laptop. The shift from the fluid movements of the two-dimensional screen to the gravity and weight of matter. It's a bit like the same transformation I try to achieve with sculptures, even though they are taken from reality and follow an opposite path; in a sense, they become virtualized within the physical reality. Through this work, I began to better understand architecture and how architects today can develop total projects, from the measurement of components to the quality of the form that leads to the final result. From abstract calculations to solid reality. For example, they talk about liquid architecture, and once objects leave the screen, architectural elements directly gain weight. For me, it was also crucial to have a role recognized by the client, understood at the political level, which is quite rare in Italy. And it was also a kind of challenge from the beginning, since my first project was limited to the wall drawing.

Sometimes in your previous works there was a shift in scale, but now it seems that you have bypassed the other route.

The shift in scale is somehow related to an idea of modeling reality, bringing it to a visual paradox and a revision of the objective models we know well and are accustomed to. At the same time, it has nothing to do with Oldenburg's giant toys, and perhaps has much more to do with certain contemporary Dutch architecture. Or, in a different way, with a film set. An open stage ready for any image or soundtrack.

“Arte all’Arte VI”, 2001