LONDON.- rosenfeld porcini is presenting Materia, the gallery’s second themed exhibition this year. Featuring the work of 17 international artists, Materia reflects on the idea of a hierarchy of materials, historically a cornerstone, yet today made obsolete by the radical ‘democratisation’ of media that took places across the last century. Attempting to offer a glimpse on the ever more blurred line of demarcation between art and design, the exhibition juxtaposes practices based on the use of traditional materials with works which have only recently achieved the status of contemporary art.

Historically, the value and prestige of a sculpture was determined both by the artist’s celebrity but also by his or hers choice of material. Numerous artists during the Renaissance and Pre-Renaissance made extensive use of terracotta (which was often painted) however, the so-called ‘noble’ materials of marble and bronze were always viewed as having greater value compared to ‘lesser’ surfaces such as plaster, wax and terracotta itself. In fact these were often used principally for ‘bozzetti’ (preparatory studies). Already in the early twentieth century these divisions were broken down as the second Cubist School and later on Arte Povera amongst others introduced a whole range of new possibilities of what could constitute a sculpture. The contemporary art world with its atavistic hunger to consume and provide an endless source of ‘newness’ has consistently enlarged its borders, now including a range of materials which were previously considered to be the exclusive realm of the ‘decorative’ arts.

There are 17 artists in the exhibition ranging from established names such as the American Leonardo Drew, the Brazilian artist Arthur Lescher and the Argentinian artists Sebastián Gordín and Marie Orensanz to young and emerging talents in the early stages of their career.

The participating artists are: Roberto Almagno (1954, Italy) - Wood Alice Cattaneo (1976, Italy) - Murano Glass, Wood, Porcelain, Wood, Cotton Thread Leonardo Drew (1961, USA) - Paper José Gabriel Fernández (1957, Venezuela) - Fibreglass, Resin, Lacquer Herbert Golser (1960, Austria) - Marble, Wood Sebastián Gordín (1969, Argentina) - Wood Artur Lescher (1962, Brazil) - Aluminium, Brass Laura McKinley (1986, Britain) - Glass Keita Miyazaki (1983, Japan) - Metal, Paper Pieter Obels (1968, Holland) - Wood, Rope, Corten Steel Marie Orensanz (1935, Argentina) - Marble Rania Schoretsaniti (1971, Greece) - Wood, Silk, Marble Girjesh Kumar Singh (1981, India) - Brick Iza Tarasewicz (1981, Poland) - Metal Ian Thompson (1969, Britain) - Porcelain Ding Tianer (1994, China) - Gesso Verónica Vázquez (1970, Uruguay) - Iron, Paper