elena manferdini's 'inverted landscapes' wins PAN award for best public art project

elena manferdini’s ‘inverted landscapes’ wins PAN award for best public art project

public art news: the zev yaroslavsky family support center in los angeles sees architect elena manferdini bring two dynamic art installations to its lobby. ‘inverted landscapes’ is comprised of two multi-layered collages, realized with the los angeles county art commission, each one detailing hyper realistic depictions of nature, juxtaposed against colorful geometric forms.

‘inverted landscape projects photo realistic depictions of nature with geometric patterns

‘inverted landscapes’, which has won the PAN award – as best public art project 2015 in the USA – uses stainless steel reflective disks and 3D scanned flowers, leaves and insects to form a complex visual pattern. these analogue geometries are then brought into the virtual space of a computer, repainted and scripted into colored stripes bursting through these depictions of nature. these motifs are translated onto the floor using pastel ceramic tiles, creating a ‘red carpet’ for visitors entering the building.

the installation depicts hyper realistic forms including butterflies and falling petals

the large-scale works by elena manferdini, who is a mentor of the annual LEXUS DESIGN AWARD co-hosted by designboom, combine geometrical gradients, perforations and inlays as a way to introduce depth, transparency and an immersive quality to a flat picture plane. the 12 feet x 44 foot sculpture inside of the center uses protruding inserts, with cloud shapes and reflective disks that project a textured effect upon its surface. the piece follows a similar theme to the exterior detailing photorealist orchids, leaves and butterflies forming a harmonious collage across the space, with optical effects layered with material finishes. the work insinuates that contemporary paintings nowadays have an unprecedented ability to be embedded simultaneously with sensorial affect and cultural associations.

the 12 feet x 44 feet sculpture hovers above the center’s lobby

the aim of manferdini’s ‘inverted landscapes’ is to challenge the relationship between space and painting, updating the viewer’s classical notion of ‘still nature’ and public engagement. the real value of the artwork occupies the invisible space between artistic production, and the awareness of the beholder; implying a dynamic relationship between the visitors that experience the building on a daily basis and the artwork.

photorealist orchids, leaves and butterflies form a harmonious collage