CHICAGO—Volume Gallery debuts a new body of work from Snarkitecture, opening with a reception on April 20th from 6-8 PM at 845 West Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL.
“Then the bowsprit got mixed with the rudder sometimes.” – Lewis Carroll
Snarkitecture’s first solo exhibition, Funiture, consists of new works and site-specific installations, which combine to create a landscape of childlike wonderment. These works emerge from a world where Daniel Arsham and Alex Mustonen manipulate objects, materials and finishes in the pursuit of new and imaginative results. Funiture reconsiders our reality, often centering on creating confusion— whether with familiar objects in unexpected contexts, or the dissolution of recognizable volumes into irrational forms.
This deliberate confusion results in functional pieces that appear to act in ways opposite to their intention, causing a double take or encouraging further exploration— e.g. a cabinet (Break) cracked down its middle, the two halves resting on squashed feet. Moments of implied instability, the appearance of impossible conditions, and oscillation between construction and ruin are balanced with subtle contrasts of texture and material richness— e.g. a floor lamp (Lean) leaning into another floor lamp, causing the globes to fuse together, or a wood table (Pour) suspended in collapse as a heavy stone infill rests on top.
Funiture is not simply about functional objects; it is about an object’s relation to the architecture though installation— e.g. an excavated slab (Shelve) cantilevered from the wall. The intention of the installation is to engage the existing architecture in a potentially playful manner and to create a threshold between the familiar world of the everyday and the unpredictable world of Snarkitecture.
