About the project:
The Virtual Pinacotheca of Anthropological Design (Pinacoteca di Körln) is a project I started at the beginning of 2023. It is a virtual gallery of images, the sources of inspiration for which are a number of anthropological studies, which include the study of artifacts, household items, features of the social and mental environment of a particular civilization and, of course, sculpture itself from its very origins.
The project implementation consists of two parts.
The first, theoretical part, is an in-depth study of the historical, religious, social and political contexts of culture in a given period of time.
This includes a thorough study of the archaeological finds that Mankind has managed to find so far, their properties and materials; careful reading of academic literature; endless scanning of museum archives; as well as the analysis of 3D scan data of human masterpieces, when such an opportunity is available. All this is used in the creation of sculptures.
The second, practical part, is the direct creation of a digital sculpture by me, which embodies the essence of the aesthetic doctrine or concept of a particular period.
I hope that part of the collection of my Pinacoteca, presented at Art Laguna 18th Edition, will help the modern audience change their attitude towards the place of Anthropology in modern society. I want to show that wooden figurines from Eurasia, portraits of pharaohs and other objects are not just exhibits in the dusty and often abandoned halls of archaeological museums. This is the key to understanding who we are, how we got to where we are at the moment. This is a clear example of how those aesthetic concepts that were developed thousands of years ago, in completely different civilizations, times, geographies and cultures, are capable of arousing admiration and emotions in us, which means this is the key to realizing that despite all our difference, diversity, and so on, we are all able to see in Man something beautiful, something that can lead our home, our planet from the abyss of those tragic humanitarian crises that gripped us in the twenties of the 21st century.
Some information about the works presented in the collection so far:
An indurated limestone statue depicting gods Amun-Re and Mut, and a pharaoh, H. 250 × W. 200 × D. 100 cm; inspired by and based on the sculptures produced in Ancient Egypt during the New Kingdom period, ca. 1550-1077 BC.A painted limestone statue depicting a couple in love ("Mars And Venus In Egypt"), H. 62 × W. 25 × D. 16 cm; inspired by and based on the sculptures produced in Ancient Egypt during the Old Kingdom period, ca. 2686-2181 BC.An alabaster statue depicting god Thoth and a scribe ("Mars The Poet"), H. 40 × W. 35 × D. 20 cm; inspired by and based on the sculptures produced in Ancient Egypt during the Middle Kingdom period, ca. 2686-2181 BC.A wooden statuette and an amulet depicting a kissing couple ("Mars And Venus In Love"), H. 16 × W. 6× D. 6 cm; inspired by and based on the sculptures by the peoples of Old Stone Age Europe, living in Paleolithic period, ca .15000-10000 BC.A ceramic statuette of a man ("Melancholic Mars"), H. 11 × W. 8 × D. 8 cm; inspired by and based on the sculptures by the Hamangia Culture that existed on the territory of modern Romania in Late Neolithic period, ca. 5000-4600 BC.A terracotta statuette depicting a couple ("Mars And Venus in Delight"), H. 17 × W. 17 × D. 17 cm; inspired by and based on the sculptures by the Ancient Anatolia peoples, mainly the ones living on the territory of modern Turkey during the Neolithic period, ca. 7500-6400 BC.An amber statuette depicting a woman and a beast ("Venus And The Beast"), H. 8 × W. 4 × D. 4 cm; inspired by and based on the sculptures by the peoples of Northern Europe, mainly the ones living on the territory of modern Scandinavia during the Mesolithic period, ca. 9000-6000 BC.
* The illustrations are for preview only; this work was never intended to be experienced as a still picture. Please watch the video to properly appreciate the work.
