Embraceis a performative sculpture that aims to interact with the visitors by challengingthem to complete the artistic intention in two opposite ways. First of all,before entering the installation space, the visitor can find the unfoldedfigurines on a desk, and he/she is invited to choose one his/her own age. Thenby folding the figurine – representing the embrace between a man and a woman -the visitor can place it wherever he/she desires in order to continue themultitude of embraces. With every figurine added to the installation, thischanges shape becoming an ongoing form dictated by the visitors’ will. Another way to complete the artistic intention is to deconstructthe current shape of the sculpture by taking home a figurine (again, fittingthe visitor’s age) in order to use it as a sample of the sculpture. This wayevery visitor has the possibility to possess a piece of the installation and bepart of EMBRACE.


The sculpture was commissioned by the CulturalDepartment of the City Hall, in Preganziol - a small town in Treviso County(Italy). An art event was needed for the opening of the new Library and ArtGallery of the town. Embrace was conceptually created for this event.Preganziol has 17.000 citizens; therefore Embrace had the exact number ofelements to be shared with everyone in town. After a demographic research with thehelp of the Cultural Department, the types of the figurines used in thesculpture have been calculated according to the existing age groups. There wereten types of age groups for the figurines, starting from 1 to 10 y.o. to 91 to100 y.o. On a side of a face, there’s a skin pattern in line with the real skincharacteristics of every age group. On the other side of the face, the figurine‘s aim was to be mirror-like so that it could reflect the other shapesnearby.
The inhabitants of the town, due to the building’shistory, considered the Library of Preganziol, a sort of House of Thinking.Therefore, the figurine shape reminds the prehistoric statues of “The thinkersof Hamangia”, prefigured here in the universal celebrative gesture of theembrace.

Title
EMBRACE

Technique
offsetprint on laminated cardboard
17.000pieces
variabledimensions

Year
2011

About
2individuals needed to fulfill an embrace
17,000inhabitants of Preganziol
17,000shapes representing embraces
1embrace for each citizen of the city
10age-classes (1-10 y.o., 11-20 y.o., … 91-100 y.o.)
10skin textures (1 for each age-class)
3dimensions (physical – skin, temporal – age, emotional – gesture)
2basic lifestyles in a society – single/couple
2points of view: male – entrance / female – exit (or vice versa)
2types of participation – action (folding the shape, placing it among othershapes) / interaction (taking part of the completion of EMBRACE)