The work of the Italian architects Carlo Scarpa and Franco Albini was Leonor Antunes’ inspiration for her installation in the 57th Venice Biennale, which runs until November 26 in the historic centre of Arsenale. For this purpose, the Portuguese artist chose a cork flooring solution from Wicanders, placed in a 100 m2 area, in a project that she says pays tribute to the remodelling works overseen by the two well-known architects in several Italian museums, and other buildings linked to the worlds of culture and the arts.
Leonor Antunes’ installation is the result of extensive research into the work of the Italian architects Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978) and Franco Albini (1905-1977) who revolutionized the way that new generations visit museums. As the renowned Portuguese artist explains, "my visits to several of these museums was the starting point for this new installation, in which several works are inspired by patterns and other elements used by Scarpa and Albini in their remodelling works."
In this sense, and in a Biennial dedicated to the theme, "Viva Arte Viva", Leonor Antunes renews the concept of a flooring solution created by Carlo Scarpa for the San Vito d'Altivole cemetery in Treviso. However, unlike the original project - in which the architect used copper and stone for the mausoleum’s main corridor - the Portuguese artist has enlarged the scale of these lines and used a cork solution to provide a cosier and more natural environment.
Leonor Antunes also justifies the selection of cork because "it’s a raw material that is essentially produced in Portugal, and thus endows the project with another differentiating and sustainable element."
After her experience at the CAPC - Museum of Contemporary Art in Bordeaux - this is the second time, in a short space of time, that Leonor Antunes has chosen a Wicanders’ cork flooring solution to materialise her creative vision.
According to Pedro Maria Pinho, Amorim Revestimentos’ Marketing Director, "Cork is gaining ground as a responsible option, since it combines technical performance with aesthetic versatility, as demonstrated through its use in several contemporary art museums in different countries around the world. "
As with the work presented in the CAPC, in the Venice Biennale Leonor Antunes also presents a set of sculptures suspended on the floor which reinforce cork’s unique appeal and the way that it harmoniously interconnects with materials such as leather and brass, which she regularly uses in her work.
