Untitled (Modules), 2007
water-cut steel, enamel
28 x 28 x 200 cm

The gallery is pleased to present the first Italian solo exhibition by the Iranian-born Swedish artist, Sirous Namazi. The artist, representing Sweden at the Venice Biennale this year, freely uses a number of widely differing artistic media and, in an unfailingly humorous way, reinterprets the aesthetics of minimalism. Based on the issue of integration and relations between different cultures, Namazi's work is a subtle and ironic reflection on the difficulties of representation and communication. For this exhibition Namazi reflects on the concept of dwelling: the relationship between architectural standards and individual experience, between the rationality of design and the emotiveness of living.

Untitled (2007) is a sculpture comprising a sequence of metal modules producing a scale structure of a living unit. Juxtaposed in groups of four, the elements develop the characteristic façade of a council house, typical of many large cities' suburban area. The wall-mounted structure does not immediately reveal its origin: with its various sections being painted in different colors, it has a graphic nature which is reminiscent of De Stijl aesthetics and a chromatic development that suggests a closer relationship with painting rather than with architecture.

Interior (2007) is a series of photographs taken inside an apartment on the outskirts of Stockholm. At a first glance the images, taken in very dim lighting conditions, appear to be totally black. Similarly to our domestic experience of obscurity, shapes, initially unrecognizable, slowly emerge from the darkness so that, in the gallery space, the visitor has the impression of entering a different room each time. As the viewer's attention is distracted, the images disappear once again and the photographs take on the appearance of a set of monochrome paintings.