artnexus #85

Tomás Saraceno (Tucumán, Argentina, 1973; lives in Germany) studied architecture at the Universidad de Buenos Aires and did a post-graduate course in art and architecture in Frankfurt. A central feature of his work is his interest in the connections between art and geopolitics, expressed through a unique handling of technology that prompts Saraceno to experiment in disciplines such as physics and engineering, using in his art materials of the most recent technological vintage. Saraceno’s works are often inflatable, mobile, seeking to generate specific reactions on the part of the surprised viewer, as he not only provokes uncommon sensations but prods our imagination into flight with visions that appear utopian but, in truth, are concerned with such current issues as ecological disasters. Saraceno’s projects seek to emphasize respect for the environment, but are also concerned with the way in which relationships between individuals actually operate, and attempt to engage his audience not just as viewers but as responsible participants. One of Saraceno’s most recent projects moves precisely in that direction. Cloud City, part of a series titled Cloud Cities/Air-Port-City, has just been installed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and it wants, according to the artist, to generate in its viewers the impression of walking on a cloud. “I liked the idea of being connected to the sky and trying to look down. When you walk on the structure, you feel immersed in a landscape that resembles a cloud.” His goal remains to explore ways of inhabiting and experimenting with the environment, trying to bring to the fore our responsibilities as its denizens. 
IVONNE PINI