Architectural Cases

Artist Jasmin Sian, whose captivating creations are presently showcased at the esteemed Whitney Biennial, initiates her artistic journey amidst natural surroundings. She humorously describes her method as far from glamorous, often finding herself in humble positions, much like the small creatures exploring the foliage. This down-to-earth approach beautifully encapsulates the gentle essence of her artistry, where meticulous attention to minute organisms and plant fragments that typically go unnoticed forms the core of her drawings and meticulously cut-paper installations.

Sian's medium choices echo this fundamental connection to the environment. Ordinary deli bags are repurposed as canvases for her delicate compositions, embellished with gouache, lacquer ink, and graphite. These elements frame miniature worlds of animals and plants, intricately bordered by hand-cut, lace-like designs. The intimate dimensions of her work, exemplified by pieces such as 'dovecote: a tree-pee in Bugoy’s favorite spot with Mrs. Manok in mom’s garden, Philippines,' which measures a mere 3 ⁵∕₈ by 5 ¾ inches, reveal densely textured scrap paper, rich with detailed observation. These cut motifs serve both as tributes and protective enclosures for the depicted living beings. The artist cherishes the tactile qualities of this otherwise discarded paper—its texture, creases, and the ease with which it yields to her knife. The natural folds guide her in mapping out compositions, transforming the paper into a miniature landscape where structure and spacing are discovered through touch.

For Sian, this intense focus transcends conventional illustration; it is a means of rekindling a sense of awe for the world. She asserts that the wonders of nature are beyond human invention, being inherently stranger and more profound than anything we could conceive. Her works, featuring flora and fauna, are imbued with this sense of marvel. She meticulously observes the placement of a petal, the number of petals in a bloom, and the interplay of light and plant form. By understanding the inherent logic of living organisms, she constructs intricate paper architectures through a process of cutting and painting. This sequential process, spanning graphite, ink, gouache, and cutouts, demands patience and a deep trust in the material. Sian frequently begins with plant sketches, allowing the larger narrative of the piece to emerge organically. She finds joy in the preparatory stages, believing that even before an animal fully materializes in her art, the surrounding space is already being thoughtfully prepared for its arrival.

Sian's art is not merely an aesthetic pursuit but a practical act of contribution, rooted in a philosophy that art embodies a social contract—a duty to give back to the world that sustains us. She believes that the capacity for creation carries an inherent responsibility to offer something meaningful beyond personal expression. For Jasmin Sian, even the smallest artistic gesture holds significance. If her art can resonate with one individual or provide a fleeting moment of happiness, she considers it deeply valuable work. Her creations embody this conviction through their scale and methodology, inviting close contemplation and rewarding viewers with a feeling of safeguarding the often-unseen lives they portray, fostering a deeper appreciation for the beauty and fragility of the natural world.

In an innovative design endeavor titled "On the Calculation of Volume – Mania New Yorkea or living and dying in the city," architect Massimiliano Malagò has meticulously redesigned a Greenpoint apartment in New York. This project, a collaborative effort with client Kathleen Pongrace, delves into the intricate relationship between literature, domesticity, and the unique challenges of urban existence. Faced with New York City's soaring housing expenses, limited living areas, and incessant urban evolution, the design strategically weaves in concepts of recurrence, storage, temporality, and endurance through a series of bespoke furnishings and spatial modifications. Pongrace, a former marketing director for the Strand Bookstore, required expanded storage for her extensive book collection, which spurred the project to not only address practical spatial limitations but also to ponder larger themes of accumulation and adaptation within a densely populated urban environment.

A Greenpoint Apartment Transformed by Literary Vision

The core conceptual framework of this renovation was profoundly influenced by literary works. Solvej Balle’s novel, "On the Calculation of Volume I," with its protagonist repeatedly experiencing the same day, informed the design's exploration of cyclical routines and temporal reiteration characteristic of New York life. Similarly, Simone de Beauvoir’s "Tous les hommes sont mortels" introduced themes of lasting existence, profound loss, and the human experience of enduring societal and urban transformations. These profound narratives were artfully translated into furniture pieces that serve both as practical domestic items and as artistic interpretations of time, emotional attachment, and the continuous flow of urban life.

A collection of chairs custom-designed for the apartment exemplifies this integration, featuring a blend of ceramic tiles, plywood, aluminum storage compartments, and bio-synthetic foam. The ceramic bases are a subtle nod to New York’s iconic glazed terra-cotta facades, subway tiles, and the utilitarian surfaces prevalent in the city's architecture. They also fulfill practical domestic needs, offering durability, particularly against wear and tear from the client’s cat.

Several chairs in the collection highlight a deliberate contrast between enduring and transient materials. Ceramic elements are designed to appear fluid or partially melted, with tiled surfaces forming delicate, droplet-like shapes that symbolize the gradual accumulation and blurring of time. Conversely, the foam seating components are intended to gracefully degrade with use, creating a material distinction between permanence and decay. One chair even features integrated cavities for flowers, introducing an additional temporal dimension through living organic elements. Storage solutions are seamlessly incorporated into the furniture itself, utilizing hidden compartments, metal brackets, and slide-in pockets, underscoring the project's emphasis on maximizing spatial efficiency within compact urban interiors. Another chair pays homage to the architectural styles of Greenpoint and Williamsburg, incorporating openings beneath the seat to provide a cozy nook for the client’s cat.

Throughout this comprehensive project, designer Massimiliano Malagò’s furniture acts as a profound medium for examining how domestic objects assimilate the psychological and spatial realities of urban living. Through its ceramic surfaces, layered materials, integrated storage, and literary allusions, the "Mania New Yorkea" project positions the apartment’s interior as a thoughtful meditation on repetition, adaptation, and the art of navigating space within the vibrant tapestry of New York City.

This project reminds us that our living spaces are not just physical structures but profound reflections of our inner worlds and the external environments that shape us. By drawing inspiration from literature and directly addressing the unique pressures of city living, Malagò's work encourages us to consider how design can enrich our daily lives, transforming functional objects into meaningful narratives of our existence. It underscores the power of thoughtful design to harmonize practicality with poetic expression, turning an apartment into a sanctuary that resonates with personal stories and urban rhythms.