Sculpture

Ceramic, cement and metal (+mapping)

80x240x5cm

2022

If we closely observe Andalusian architecture in the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb, we can sense in the geometric compositions of Zellige a certain musicality and a certain rhythm which takes us back to refined Andalusian music. As if the artisans were trying to immortalize the music of their time.

This connection between music and architecture gives birth to the MUSAIC project. The main objective is to translate musical scores of old andalusians «Nobah» into ceramic mosaic compositions, creating new geometric languages to generate dialogues between heritage and the contemporary thanks to new technologies.

The video mapping allows me to transform spaces and architectural elements by adding movement and light to the Zellige. I work with the Tetouan Zellige technique which is classified by UNESCO as a technique threatened by its disappearance. One of the objectives of my work is to preserve and evolve this technique, thus avoiding its disappearance. I have also managed to rescue old enamel formulas based on natural mineral oxides to generate a palette of unique colors and textures with great depth and shine.

The idea of choosing “La Tarara” came from the fact that this song, of Sephardic or Mozarabic origin, has survived through time thanks to Christians, Jews and Muslims. This song has been sung throughout the Mediterranean, in different languages, since time immemorial.

The work is made with the traditional Zellige of Tetouan. These white ceramic tiles are inlaid in cement panels with a metal structure and on which the colors of each note are projected. This interactive projection is sensitive to sound and is altered by any sound interaction.