Janine von Thüngen's soft paper sculptures on display at Palazzo Branciforte

Opening today, May 24, 2019, at 7 p.m., at Palazzo Branciforte in Palermo is Janine von Thüngen’s solo exhibition, Tempo Trasposto.

Curated by Stefania Morici and Clara Monroy di Giampilieri, the exhibition showcases sculptures made of paper-a delicate material that could burn and destroy itself, emphasizing the precariousness of life and theinevitability of time.

"The body of the works is made of a particular mixture of soft cellulose mixed with glue and hardeners. The dough is pressed between two silicone forms, imprints made from the ancient walls of Roman catacombs. Through slow drying, the dough hardens to reveal thick sheets of highly textured paper that seem to hover in space. Meticulously, with painstaking patience, layer upon layer of the highly prized Japanese Washi paper is applied, which is precious, strong, durable, and at the same time candid, soft, transparent and elegant, and, as it contains no lignin, will never yellow over time," the artist explained.

“Dinosaur sculptures” placed inside the old Pawnshop, the former pawn shop still visible in the building.
For the sculptures in the exhibition, Janine von Thüngen tore a mile of washi paper into thousands of tiny pieces. The time it takes to dry the sculptures is long, but the time to stack thousands of layers of Washi paper on top of each other is much longer, mainly because of the need to make it homogeneous. “Once finished, all this time could easily burn off in an instant, and being paper, the process would be irreversible,” the artist added. "There would be nothing left. We would forget its very existence, also because it is white. Ethereal. Maybe the words have yet to reach the paper? I imagine that each layer of washi, very light, delicate and transparent will contain one or more signs or words in the future, frivolous or eternal."

Instead, in the large atrium entrance to the palace is the bronze sculpture Double Eternity (2018), created with the same silicone matrix as the works on paper.

"Once again, Fondazione Sicilia is pleased to host an exhibition of contemporary art that is sure to make people think. Janine von Thüngen’s works deal with absolutely topical issues, such as the flow of time, but also the relationship with nature and the condition of women. A path that will not fail to provoke reflection and debate," said the president, Raffaele Bonsignore.

The exhibition is part of Palermo delle Donne, a project that aims to promote a correct lifestyle and highlight the role of women in society.

For info: www.palermodelledonne.it

Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Ticket: 7 euros. The exhibition is part of the visiting itinerary of Palazzo Branciforte.

Image: Janine von Thüngen, Great Ribbon (2018)

Janine von Thüngen's soft paper sculptures on display at Palazzo Branciforte

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