Pablo Serrano Museum – Aqua Fossil Solo Show
About This Project
Three years have passed since we sketched the first idea of what we would like the Aqua Fossil exhibition to be at the IAACC Pablo Serrano museum. During this time we have been able to further develop our work and technique in alabaster, capturing a conceptual vision of a future similar to other planets in which there was liquid water in the distant past. Throughout this time, we have maintained a clear idea about the exhibition we wanted to present. We wanted to create a setting that would represent a meeting point between craftsmanship and contemporary art, and between an immersive experience and a collectible design exhibit. Thus blurring the limits commonly established to bring the museum and the art closer to new audiences. In this sense, we can only thank the IAACC Pablo Serrano institution for their continuous support to materialize a proposal of these dimensions and characteristics, bringing to life a show that makes even more sense in the territory of Aragon, Spain. We also want to thank the support that the Gelsa City Council and the United Alabaster company have given us. Gelsa has one of the largest alabaster quarries in the world, where we source the material; and the collaboration with United Alabaster over the years has allowed us to learn and delve deeper into the characteristics of the stone. Both play an important role in the development of alabaster work, the structuring of the territory and the international visibility of this traditional mineral of Aragon.
During the Aqua Fossil creative process, we have also been able to meet and collaborate with multiple professionals who have contributed their knowledge to the outcome of this exhibition. We want to give public thanks to: Juan Carlos Somolinos, who directed the audiovisual short film of the land art project Metamorphosis. Saúl Lozano, who usually accompanies us as a photographer in the studio and who has also captured with his camera the Metamorphosis project. David Rodríguez, multidisciplinary artist, who has made it possible to convert the 00 room of the IAACC Pablo Serrano into an immersive space through the digital projection of the Aqua Fossil sky on the walls. Odile Moreno, art dealer and guest writer of this catalog, whom we had the opportunity to meet at our first exhibition in New York and who has seen us grow as artists since then. Thank you all very much for helping us make this dream come true. And finally, to our visitors, readers and collectors, thank you for giving meaning to our work.
Clara & Aran artists and curator – Amarist.
Located in the center of Zaragoza, the Pablo Serrano Institute of Contemporary Art and Culture (IAACC) became the perfect landmark for Amarist’s first museum exhibition. The building itself, its location and artistic program is very significant for the artistic duo, granting them national presence, recognition and opening its doors to the public in one of their hometowns, Zaragoza. With an extensive international career, Amarist Studio is famous for their ‘liquid stone’ artworks; translucent sculptures masterfully formed in alabaster. Originally heavy and opaque, the stone is transformed into a weightless appearance which levitates and emanates its own light. Alabaster, a recurring material in Amarist’s work, not only pays tribute to their Aragonese roots, but also invites the viewer to reflect on the fragility of our ecosystems, eloquently addressing the current environmental water crisis.
The ‘Aqua Fossil’ installation offers visitors an immersive tour with surprising scenery. A sensory space that blurs the line between the natural world and the one made by the artists, with a very poetic dichotomy of images: stone in movement and rigid water. Works like those found in ‘Aqua Fossil’ expand awareness and emphasize the contemporary paradigm. Reminiscent of other installations by great artists such as Olafur Eliasson, with his work ‘Riverbed’ or ‘The weather project’, and Daniel Arsham with ‘Static Mythologies’; Amarist similarly combines the artistic expression with a powerful environmental message, creating an impactful narrative within the current art market.
The exhibition at the IAACC is open from December 2023 till March 2024. In 2024, Amarist Studio has an exciting program of international fairs ahead together with the Dutch gallery Priveekollektie Contemporary Art & Design, in addition to future collaborations, exhibitions and the exploration of new materials, with an upcoming new line of work in recycled aluminum.
Odile Moreno Art Advisor & Consultant.
