Natura Morta, Oggetti Vivi

Natura Morta, Oggetti Vivi translates from Italian to ‘Still Life, Living Objects’. Though ‘Natura Morta’ is the Italian term for ‘Still Life’, it literally translates to ‘dead nature,’ referring to the tranquil and silent sense of the word ‘morte’. The title was chosen for this exhibition which features historic still life works on paper by Giorgio Morandi and Picasso, alongside lively contemporary design objects that exist within the same space as us, and thus are ‘living’ in real time, as opposed to the objects depicted in still lives, forever frozen in the time and space they were captured in. The ‘dead’ objects are silent and tranquil, constant, and unchanging within the picture frame. The ‘living’ objects may still change over time, a different face under each interplay of light and shadow, placement, or traces, marks gained from loving usage, wear and tear. Both converge in a visual conversation on objects, how we view them, and how we use them.