Metalloid beige-gray shored-up door way, I 1968

Editor: This is Gianni Piacentino's "Metalloid beige-gray shored-up door way, I" from 1968. It seems to be a sculpture made of metal. It's so simple, almost severe. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see an exploration of industrial materials and processes. Consider the title – “Metalloid.” Piacentino draws attention to the specific qualities of the material itself, elevating it beyond mere functionality. He asks us to consider the labor involved in shaping this metal into this geometric, minimalist form. Editor: So, it’s about more than just the shape. It is interesting because it's not really a doorway. Curator: Precisely. It's about subverting our expectations. The title suggests a supportive structure, "shored-up," yet it appears almost fragile. The material belies that frailty because of our learned experience of it as stable and structural. This piece plays with the viewer’s assumptions about form and function and about the means of production which create those forms. What's important to note is the socio-historical conditions that encouraged these works. Editor: So, Piacentino’s actually critiquing something about materials, labor, or production? Curator: Think of it less as a critique and more of a re-evaluation, by challenging our notions of art as a product of intellectual creativity, the viewer must contend with these "primary structures," that force an encounter with what constitutes artwork, and what is merely product. Editor: That's interesting, I didn’t think about it that way at first, but now I better understand its conceptual intent. Thank you! Curator: Of course! This has been a great dialogue – and one can continue thinking about this in reference to global trade and raw materials sourcing.