Metamorphosis. Art in Europe Now

The work of Piotr Łakomy explores the relationship of sculpture to the human body, architecture, and the environment. Influenced by the rationalism of Le Corbusier and the biomorphism of Frederick Kiesler, the artist uses both organic and industrial materials in his work. For the Fondation Cartier, he has created a sculpture that plays with the transparency of Jean Nouvel’s building. Composed of two elements mounted discreetly in a corner, the sculpture appears to grow from the inside of the gallery out into the garden. These two segments have the same underlying metallic structures based on the dimensions of Le Cobusier’s Modulor, an anthropometric scale of proportions used for the design of architectural elements. Over these structures, the artist has folded panels of aluminum honeycomb—a material used in the aerospace and construction industries—in a way that suggests a natural formation. By including ostrich eggs in his work, the artist refers to the sphere as a fundamental architectural form and as a shelter for life.