Perfectionism (part III): The Alchemy of Making

4 October – 18 November 2016

Perfectionism does not seek to be perfect. Neither does it claim to showcase perfect artists. Instead, this is an exploration of perfectionism of process.

In the third part of the series, our focus turns towards the idea of transformation of materials. We look at a range of artists whose practice involves taking materials through a meticulous and carefully planned process in order to change their status or presence.

“Chemistry is an art, which resolves and reduces all ‘mixed bodies’ into their primary elements, it searches out their nature and separates the pure from the impure and it makes use of the pure to perfect these bodies and even to transform one body into another.”

Antonio Neri (Alchemist, 1576 – 1614), Discorso sopra la chimica