carlo massoud places fish as altarpiece in milanese church for design week

lebanese artist carlo massoud presents ‘the fish and the crowd’,  his first solo exhibition in italy, during milan design week 2019. the artist collaborated with his sister, ceramist mary-lynn, for this exhibition curated by maria cristina didero. the artwork was displayed at oratorio passione, a church in milano for the duration of the design week. quoting the classical icons of christianity (the religion they both belong to), the artists offer visitors an intense and ironic reflection on the subject of religion. 

all images © designboom

massoud adds a joyful twist to the topic of religion, translating it into a creative project. his playful approach to meaningful and serious subjects is transformed into objects that are sometimes functional, yet also can be seen as toys. his art becomes a means to convey his sharp social critique in an unconventional way. in this exhibition, the artist creates a balance between the physicality of the objects he produced and the spiritual tension of the context they are presented in. 

with ‘the fish and the crowd’ massoud presents the idea that any kind of subject could be addressed with a correct and respectful approach. massoud proposes a new altarpiece, ‘the fish’, a prime example of the his skillfull craftsmanship. as for ‘the crowd’, looking towards the apse, the artist arranged a series of objects from his past collections to sit on the pews. the artist’s exploration of materials and approach to sensitive subjects make his exhibition a captivating experience. 

project info:

exhibition name: the fish and the crowd
artist: carlo massoud
location: oratorio della passione – milan, italy
curator: maria cristina didero
produced by: 5vie