Architect Expo’16

The exhibition concept is idea creation, symbolised by the perfect form of the egg. Here giant eggs were painted in a selection from the Classic and Metallic Collections. Visitors could touch the eggs to experience the textures of Fractalis as well as the colours. It proved to be a touching visual inspiration.

“Eggcletics” – art installation, Architect Expo 2016, Bangkok, Thailand
By GianLuca Vernizzi

Conceptually I started designing the scope and nature of this work from a quote of one of the most famous Italian Designers, Bruno Munari, who once said to his students before starting a class on design: “The egg has a perfect shape, even if it’s laid from the ass.” I added on such provocative-evocative statement with my own words and thoughts: “I am sure we can improve it if we use our brain.” Why? Because, no matter how perfect nature is, nature is vulnerable and reactive; therefore we, as human beings, have the duty to being human and preserve the integrity of nature’s beauty and balance by using the good side of our brain as to constructively and responsibly manage our behaviors along anything we do.

What is “Eggcletics” about?

It’s a 3D metaphoric sculpture of the Enneagram.
The enneagram (from ancient greek ennea meaning 9) is a theory of human personality taught as a typology of 9 interconnected personality types (teaching of Oscar Ichazo and Claudio Naranjo) which are represented by the points of a geometric figure called enneagram, which, it is believed, also indicates some of the connections between the types (see the map here below). In business contexts it is generally used as a typology to gain insights into social community and workplace dynamics; in spirituality, it is more commonly presented as a path to higher states of being, essence, and enlightenment.

Eggcletics groups 8 eggs (each egg = 1 personality) in a nest (the society with its norms, standards, and conditioning); 1 egg (personality) is missing. For ease of the enneagram map visual reading, each egg looks different through Fractalis colors and textures because all personalities – as a matter of fact – are different and, I believe, they are all somehow eclectics/eggcletics their own way; the missing one, too. None of the finishes used of each egg were coded or named by personality type as to avoid any influence on people. Honestly, I did not think about this technical aspect as an option, because I conceive art as transcendence, only. People are free to run their own assessment and decide whether their egg is missing or not. Each of us is free to call himself/herself in or out of the nest without drama or sense of guilt. Not necessarily we always match or fit where we belong to, or like what we are offered or see, but we can always make our own choice (free will) and stay connected. That’s the beauty of life.