daniel gonzález turns milanese courtyard into an animated, architectural pop-up book

daniel gonzález turns milanese courtyard into an animated, architectural pop-up book
photography by carola merello / courtesy the artist & marsèlleria

within milan’s marsèlleria permanent exhibition space, daniel gonzález has transformed the courtyard’s internal architecture into an animated cardboard environment, where a a play of unexpected geometries, textures and motifs surprise visitors encompassed inside. the argentinian artist has built ‘pop-up building milan’ using hand-cut cardboard, tape, zip ties, wood, glue, nylon wires and electric engines, turning the 250 square meter façade into a monumental intervention derived from the interactivity and spirit of children’s pop-up books.

in the making of the ephemeral architecture project, gonzález has adopted techniques such as japanese kirigami (a variation of origami that includes cutting of paper, rather than solely folding it) to form folded lines that extrude from the two-dimensional space of the cardboard sheet. these sculptural paper cuts create abstract interpretations of renowned local landmarks like the pirelli skyscraper, lambrate quarter industries and the torre velasca, as well as escher’s paradoxes and impossible buildings’ projects.

the courtyard’s internal architecture is transformed into an animated cardboard environment

the artistic installation, described by marsèlleria as ‘an architectural model gone crazy — a surreal monument breaking into the urban context’ inhabits the external exhibition space until october 31, 2015.

drawings marked onto the surface of the cardboard represent architectural landmarks

folded lines extrude from the two-dimensional space of the cardboard sheet

the sculptural paper cuts create abstract interpretations of renowned local landmarks in milan

the ephemeral intervention takes over the 250 square meter façade of the existing building

the cardboard cut-outs are treated with a white tape outline

the intervention is influenced by children’s pop-up books

by night, internal lights illuminate the courtyard and artwork

the cardboard pieces are animated and move throughout the day

a cardboard wheel spins on the far right, transforming the space into a surreal scene

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