ross lovegrove: endless

ross lovegrove: endless cardi black box gallery, milan september 8th to october 1st, 2011

the cardi black box gallery in milan presents ‘endless’, the first solo exhibition of british designer ross lovegrove in italy. curated by maria cristina didero, the works on show are derived from lovegrove’s personal research brought forward with his previous liquid collection, and are an expression of his research as an artist in the experimentation of limited editions – a territory whereby projects may result in being to ambitious for mass production. on the occasion of this show at cardi black box, the liquid series is enriched with two new projects, the ‘long liquid bench’ and ‘liquidshelving’. the seating and storage units, together with a video projection have been created specifically for this gallery space.

‘long liquid bench’all images courtesy of ross lovegrove and cardi black box gallery

the sculptural furniture pieces express sinuous outlines which are a result of a process of anatomical reduction derived from ‘evolutionary forces beyond design’. these forms are capable of representing and translating lovegrove’s devotion towards efficient solutions in terms of energy, while at the same time being able to resolve complex structural problems. they demonstrate a controlled and never overflowing fluid along with organic silhouettes, creating a dialogue between science and culture.

‘long liquid bench’ (profile)

the ‘long liquid bench’ and ‘liquid shelving’ are produced with polished aircraft grade aluminium. the material seems to spontaneously mould around the lines which define their shape, reminding one of a mercurial formation of liquid metal, transitioning back into pieces that solidify into real objects. ‘endless’ presents sculptures suspended in physical, but also temporal space, pieces which represent the designer’s spiritual shelters from commissioning, constituting moments of freedom in which one can escape from parameters linked to mass industrial design.

designer ross lovegrove