‘Florista Marmoris’ transforms Prime Matter Gallery into the universe of an imaginary person who creates and sells floral compositions, residing in an environment entirely crafted from marble, where all things—art and design—are hewn from this everlasting rock. A florist in a marble world.
It is unclear whether this imaginary individual is trapped in this marble world or deliberately curating a marble existence. Living at the intersection of the temporary and the eternal, symbolised by fleeting flowers and everlasting marble, the florist exists in a delicate balance.
The fragile nature of flowers, extremely susceptible to decay, stands in stark opposition to the robust resilience embodied by marble. These divergent qualities establish a profound contrast between the enduring and the delicate. ‘Florista Marmoris’ offers us a glimpse into an existence balanced at the intersection of the ephemeral and the eternal.
It also challenges us to reconsider what we often perceive as our unique lives, shaped by conscious choices. Whereas our lives might be equally, if not more, influenced by numerous unconscious decisions and accidental occurrences. Our personal universe, seemingly logical and normal to us, may even appear exotic or eccentric to outsiders, much like the florist in a marble world.
Simultaneously, we may question whether the line separating reality from fiction will persist. With the advancements in artificial intelligence today, crafting entirely fictional characters with simulated lives has become a tangible reality. This development makes it increasingly difficult to differentiate between what is real and what is made up.
Prime Matter Gallery invites us to step into the ‘Florista Marmoris’ universe, where the works of artist Alexandra Ferreira, floral artist Nathan Kunigami, and designers Mircea Anghel and Emmanuel Babled, alongside sculptor Filippo Tincolini, coexist in an unusual yet irresistible juxtaposition at the interface of art and design.
Filstone further enriches the ‘Florista Marmoris’ experience by introducing Stork, a sustainable and innovative composite material. Combining inert and mineral stone with organic cork, Stork merges the durability of stone with the lightness of cork. This unique material fully captures the imaginary florist’s reality filled with both eternal marble and ephemeral flowers.
Explore the multi-layered world of ‘Florista Marmoris’, where the works of contemporary makers unite—a fleeting yet enduring union mirroring the ephemeral beauty of living flowers and the everlasting life encapsulated in rock millions of years ago.
Curated by Koen Claerhout and Babled Studio.
Texts by Veerle Devos.
