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Re-Framing Arp
Daniel Quesada Lombó
To frame a piece of art, to exhibit it under a certain light, and to select its space is to establish a particular way of seeing the object. To reframe Hans “Jean” Arp is to take a fresh look at his oeuvre. Although mostly known for his abstract sculpture, Arp cannot be portrayed without a careful look at his collages, his painting, and his poetry. The juxtaposition of these mediums under different frames invites an imaginative journey in rediscovering Arp. The art space seeks to create a multilateral relationship to Arp’s oeuvre. The display takes place throughout a modified commercial building in the Los Angeles Arts District. The exhibition space displays the collection under contrasting spaces: it provides intimate one-to-one spaces; it shows the museum storage in a studio-like display; and it plays with the shop window to frame the consumable image. The spaces are located throughout the complex and invite a passage of discoveries. The building, like the display, reframes an existing condition in order to bring new light into the neighborhood. Duplicating an existing industrial building creates a modern version of an urban passage. The new united building puts the old and the new in dialogue through similarities in their architectural details. Yet, its subtle twists create a modified condition and brings a new air to the neighborhood with its public modern passage.