Andrea Anastasio

At Rome’s Galleria O, Anastasio’s objects speak of a dimension in which objects and furnishings are imbued with a soul, thought and function that moves seamlessly from one to the other.

There are two main ways to relate to the Orient: one is that of the occasional traveller who is seduced by a culture and replicates its styles, forms and colours; the other is that of the person who truly lives it, embarking on an ongoing learning process.
Vista d'insieme dell'esposizione nella Galleria O. Roma
Top: Corallium side tables. Above: view of the exhibition at the Galleria O. Rome
Andrea Anastasio most certainly belongs to this latter category and the mental journey fuelled by his constant contacts with the Orient is very present in his works. This is a more complex and deep-rooted level that will undoubtedly disappoint those expecting formal replica or slavishly imported decoration. Quite the reverse, his works reveal an important lesson learnt in India, China, and Japan and centred on philosophies that generate an ever-present immersive culture that is, crucially, part of everyday life.
Pillow Case 6, raso di seta beige, cipria, verde chiaro e azzurro by Verel de Belval, ottone dorato, pezzo unico
Pillow Case 6, unique piece
Anastasio’s objects speak of this dimension, in which occasional furniture, objects and furnishings are imbued with a soul, thought and function that moves seamlessly from one to the other. Rome’s Galleria O is presenting (until 21 March) recent works, each of which provides insight to a lesson imparted and promptly digested. His Pillow Case stools, for instance, consist in three cushions that, although apparently assembled in a random and instable manner, are actually solid and reliable. They speak of the nomadic culture that formulates its living functions via its furnishings rather than an arrangement of rooms: the hospitality expressed by sedentary civilisations in living rooms furnished with sofas and armchairs corresponds, in nomadic ones, to a mass of cushions scattered freely over the ground.
"Corallium Album"  Ardesia, marmo Calacatta, pelle, ferro brunito. Pezzo unico.
Corallium Album, unique piece
These stools create a point of encounter between one tradition and the other while, at the same time, acting as a reflection on our perception of physical materials. The stool may look soft and incapable of providing support but proves efficient and strong when tested. Covered with polychrome tapestries, velvets from a collection designed by Raf Simons for Kvadrat and satins from renowned French maison Verel de Belval, the Pillow Case revisits the occasional furnishing and turns it into seating to all effects.
"Corallium 6"  Marmo nero del Belgio, cotone cerato, ferro brunito. Pezzo unico
Corallium 6, unique piece
Again, this is an encounter between two worlds that turn out to be more complementary than contradictory: the venerable world of the craftsperson who repairs, re-stitches and sutures in an action that remedies damage caused by passing time and the world of technology, with its numerical-control machines that cut stone. Pieces of live materials such as Giallo di Siena, Belgian Black and Rosso Levanto are held together by leather laces in contrasting colours – to make sure the addition, the “mend” is clearly visible because it belongs to the processing culture, the only possible wisdom and path to longevity.
Foto d'insieme dei Pillow Case nella Galleria O. Roma
Pillow Case, Galleria O. Rome

The carpets are made from strips of Colony velvet (Rome), woven on jacquard and backstrap looms, and cut and edged with precision tools to highlight the warp and weft weave in a reference to time punctuated by working hands.

As well as the collection for the gallery, Anastasio’s solo exhibition features some previous works, including a series of trays in bisque porcelain showing a single-material landscape-still life.

The positive space occupied by objects also generates a negative one made of the gaps in between that ask to be filled with more objects, wedged between those present. There is also a series of vases centred on the concept of protection and fragility. Made from seemingly hard materials such as glass which are actually breakable, they are saved by soft parts that envelope them like an airbag.

"Linee D'Ombra" dettaglio.
Linee D'Ombra, detail
This constant reflection on the hard/soft, fragile/strong dichotomy is another reminder that the only possible response to a crash – be it mental or physical – is elasticity. It acts as a cushion, unlike rigidity which inevitably leads to breakage.
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untill 21 March 2015
Andrea Anastasio
Galleria O, Rome

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