"SHAPES OF WATER" SABINE MARCELIS X FENDI HONG KONG

SHAPES OF WATER. SABINE MARCELIS X FENDI HONG KONG (2019)

ART BASEL HONG KONG 2019
MARCH 22 - 31 2019

On the occasion of Art Basel Hong Kong 2019, the Dutch Designer Sabine Marcelis spectacular intervention “Shapes of Water” could be seen in the atrium of Pacific Place shopping center, in Hong Kong. The installation was displayed for the first time after it’s debut at Design Miami the previous December. Marcelis, who is represented by Side Gallery, was commissioned by Fendi to create an installation to celebrate the roman fashion house’s decade of participation at Design Miami.

The exhibition consisted of ten fountains, created from cast resin, a material closely associated with Marcelis and used for the production of her Totem Floor Lamps, sold exclusively by Side Gallery. The designer’s attraction to resin, is a result of its manipulability with respect to form and light. Intricate shapes and varying tones of translucency can be extracted from the production processes, allowing the designer to work with and re-create natural elements, such as light and water reflections.

"The water sculptures shared a luxurious sensibility, and a color palette of warm, sensuous tones that turned from golden yellow to deep red were reminiscent of Roman skies during the summer sunsets"

The installation was a continuation of Marcelis experience and experimentation of material practices, projecting her own vision, Marcelis' world of timeless elegance and avant-garde creativity corresponded directly with the philosophy of Fendi. The designer’s fountains were inspired by ten of the brand’s most iconic symbols and motifs. The water sculptures shared a luxurious sensibility, and a color palette of warm, sensuous tones that turned from golden yellow to deep red were reminiscent of Roman skies during the summer sunsets.

The fountains were displayed on top of travertine plinths, the futuristic aesthetic of Marcelis' cast resin artworks were contrasted with the rich texture of travertine stone, another material associated with the designer and since used for the creation of her chaise lounges for the intervention in collaboration with Side Gallery, “NO FEAR OF GLASS” at the Barcelona Pavilion in December 2019.

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