LOT 2

“Chrysopoeia study no.2”, 2020

Raw linen, copper

30 x 30 x 5 cm

Estimate: 400 to 1,500 USD

Location: Rome

Chrysopoeia Study No. 2 is one of the first works that emerged from an intensive exploration of techniques for transmuting fabric into copper. The name Chrysopoeia, was borrowed from a term of alchemy which means transmutation into gold or the completion of the great work (Magnus Opus), symbolically indicating the successful transformation of all impurities into gold. Each piece in the ‘Chrysopoeia’ series commences its life as a piece of fabric — humble, pliable, and undeniably ordinary.

The fabric is molded and manipulated, combining artistry and chemistry in a process reminiscent of alchemical practices. The moulding blank is subsequently submerged in a copper sulphate solution and exposed to a slow process of mineralization, during which the fabric absorbs the copper, gradually morphing into a unique piece of metallic art.