'form and matter' exhibition by cláudia moreira salles tests the limits between art & design at MON

oscar niemeyer museum presents ‘forma e matéria’ by claudia moreira salles

on display until march 13, 2022, the oscar niemeyer museum (MON) in curitiba, brazil, is presenting ‘forma e matéria’ (‘form and matter’), an exhibition by brazilian designer cláudia moreira salles. showcasing 44 pieces —three of which are new— including various seats, tables, and lamps, the exhibition has been designed by kátia d’avillez, and curated by waldick jatobá.

all images courtesy of oscar niemeyer museum (MON)

an array of works blending contemporary and traditional techniques

overall, the show presents a walk through the creative and handcrafted process of cláudia moreira salles, including her furniture pieces, objects, and lamps that stand between authorial design and constructive minimalism. the contemporary and handcrafted aesthetic, developed during the designer’s career, is presented in an array of works created from the 1990s to the present day, which blend materials such as wood —so fundamental in cláudia’s career —raw stone, marble, metal, and fiber.

‘studious of various materials, cláudia delivers pieces with a perfect balance between weight and lightness, between contemporary and traditional techniques, always with delicate brazilian-ness. her refined design is very close to art,’ said juliana vosnika, director-president of MON. ‘it is part of the museum’s mission, besides collecting and exhibiting, to provide transformative experiences and dialogues between the public and art, which is also achieved with this exhibition,’ vosnika continued.

cláudia moreira salles launches a new look at design

with creations that suppose an exercise in the adaptability of a piece of furniture or object, cláudia moreira salles subverts the concept that form follows function and thus launches a new look at design, introducing furniture that can double as sculptures and objects that take the place of works of art. this universe includes coffee tables, dumbwaiters, armchairs, tables, stools, tea carts (which have no nails or screws), lamps, and objects such as fruit and nut trees, among others, each one with its own specificity that moves between elegance and originality.

even though the exhibition is a journey through cláudia moreira salles’ career, the exhibit does not follow a chronological order -on the contrary, it is organized by the affinity of the creative process of each piece. the compilations are revealed little by little in the exhibition, which is divided by screens that allow the visitor to get to know the creations behind them. on the walls, users will find the conception processes of the pieces, with illustrations, sketches, and photos of models. ‘by observing this information, the visitor can understand the path taken until the piece materializes and understand that ideas do not always begin and end the same way,’ explained cláudia moreira salles.

also part of the exhibition is the fine-tuning collection, a line of table, floor, and ceiling lamps that are produced with demolition wood, copper, and niobium (a rare metal found in brazil). the objects present a contrast between straight and rounded lines, between the hot and cold of the materials used, and the balance between the niobium bowls and discs and the thin copper rods. the variety of colors of the luminaries is obtained by an anodizing process and the voltage used in each one of them. these are also objects that quietly harmonize art and design, very characteristic of cláudia.