Peter Marino

Gagosian is pleased to present Fire and Water, an exhibition of sculpted bronze boxes by renowned architect Peter Marino.

This series of cast bronze objects is Marino’s third, following two previous series produced in 2012 and 2014. The new boxes are finished in a variety of patination techniques: they are gilded, silvered, and blackened.

In this new series, Marino reveals his deep connection to the traditions of bronze metalwork. One of the first- and best-documented materials in human history, bronze has been used to make a wide range of objects, from devotional musical bells and coinage to weaponry and statuary. In his third book of Odes, the Roman poet Horace spoke of a creation “aere perennius,” meaning “more lasting than bronze,” in what is now a prophetic saying attesting to the durability of art. About ten years ago, Marino was gripped by the discovery of a boat that sank in 350 BC off the Turkish coast en route from Greece to Italy. Original bronze works, more than two thousand years old, were recovered from the ancient vessel. Captivated by the idea of a material that outlasts entire civilizations, Marino began to work with bronze, combining the architectural with the ornamental, obdurate materiality with ephemeral gesture.

In Fire and Water, six different boxes in limited editions feature designs inspired by organic and mythical forms such as water ripples, dragon scales, and rough stone. The boxes, which are functional storage objects and can take up to a year to produce, are handmade at the Atelier St. Jacques, part of the Fondation de Coubertin, the French national institution for crafts, manual work, and trades.