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‘The Palace at 4pm’ juxtaposes Midcentury furniture with unpredictability and disorder
Installation view of Vittoria Di Stefano, The Palace at 4pm at Gertrude Contemporary showcases a series of sculptures
Image: Christian Capurro. Courtesy of Gertrude and the artist
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‘The Palace at 4pm’ juxtaposes Midcentury furniture with unpredictability and disorder

Vittoria Di Stefano exhibits ‘The Palace at 4pm’, a series of sculptures made from salvaged furniture that investigate the multifarious ideas of home.

by STIRpad
Published on : Mar 10, 2022

Melbourne based sculptor, Vittoria Di Stefano presents a series of sculptures that explore the themes of home in her exhibition, The Palace at 4pm at Gertrude Contemporary in Melbourne, Australia. The sculptures are made from salvaged Midcentury-modern furniture that has been manipulated and reassembled with bronze inlays, resin, silk fabrics and plaster. Di Stefano deconstructs the home space by combining contrasting materials to induce a sense of nostalgia layered with chaos. The walls have been embellished with a mural of abstract shapes and colours reminiscent of 1970s interior design, thus filling the exhibition room with feelings of familiarity and nostalgia. Di Stefano plays with the essence of these objects of home, imbuing meanings in the structures and materials.

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The sculptures that comprise Vittoria Di Stefano’s The Palace at 4pm are made using a mid century furniture Image: Christian Capurro. Courtesy of Gertrude and the artist

Using objects like chairs, tables, room dividers and other home accessories, Di Stefano investigates the harmony between ‘psychological and affective realities of domestic space.’ The sculptures entice feelings of playfulness and delight juxtaposed with elements of dysfunctionality that create chaos and unpredictability. Taking inspiration from Modernist art, design and film, Di Stefano utilises a range of diverse materials in her work. Often exploring the psychological effects of interacting with material objects, Di Stefano provides a feminist critique when she investigates the historical power and value of art and objects. For In The Place at 4pm, Di Stefano explores the multiple meanings of the domestic space by focusing on the liminal nature of the objects.

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Stefano’s sculptures explore the connection between functionality and art Image: Christian Capurro. Courtesy of Gertrude and the artist
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Chair sculpture, manipulated with bronze and silk fibres Image: Christian Capurro. Courtesy of Gertrude and the artist

Gertrude has been Australia’s leading incubator for contemporary art for the past 30 years. The completely independent and non-commercial organisation focuses on enabling artists to innovate, experiment and take risks, pushing the boundaries of contemporary art. With their artistic program the globally acclaimed institution has supported ambitious artists by allowing them to take risks in the most pivotal points of their careers. Gertrude Contemporary, a part of their exhibition program, allows artists to research and create works that reflect on the artistic, cultural, social and political issues of our times.

'The Palace at 4pm' went on exhibition on the 12th of February and will remain on display till the 27th of March at Gertrude Contemporary in the Preston locality of Melbourne, Australia.

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