Organelle 3 2014

Curator: Welcome to the gallery. Let’s discuss “Organelle 3”, a mixed-media textile piece made in 2014 by Rodrigo Franzao. Editor: Immediately, I notice the striking contrasts. There’s a vivid push-and-pull created by the juxtaposed blocks of colour and textures. Some blocks appear flat and smooth, while others ripple with stripes and ridges. It's very visually stimulating. Curator: Franzao’s work often references cellular structures, hinting at underlying biological systems. The grid structure itself mimics scientific diagrams, compartmentalizing each "organelle" within its own colorful square. We must see it in light of the surge in scientific progress of the 21st century. Editor: And that’s further emphasized by those loose, dangling threads and little, what look like seed pods? They seem to disrupt the strict geometry. Is it a commentary on the unpredictable nature of life, even at a microscopic level? It's fascinating how these soft, textile elements play against that rigorous structure. Curator: It’s certainly open to that interpretation. Consider the rise of DIY culture alongside increased anxieties of bio-engineering, Franzao’s deliberate choice of textile as the medium creates an intriguing dialogue about human interaction with these elemental components. The choice makes what is quite sterile seem tactile. Editor: The textural quality draws you in and makes you want to engage with it— to almost deconstruct it. It begs the question whether a scientific endeavor ever allows deconstruction and exploration outside of its established constraints. And that bright palette gives it an almost playful, subversive feeling. Curator: Precisely. Franzao utilizes this colorful tension between structure and freedom. By referencing Modernist geometry but incorporating these very contemporary artistic trends, Franzao’s making an interesting historical intervention through materials and artistic intent. Editor: A fitting dialogue between formal structure and contemporary experience. It certainly gave me some food for thought. Curator: And offers us a new way of seeing how we engage with both natural forms and science today.