Elías Crespín
Hiperficies, Paris
After years of investigation around bringing to life the forms he creates in a virtual world, Elias Crespin (Caracas, 1965) plays not only with the spatial but also formal and temporal categories of perception. In his first solo show held in Paris, where he lives and works since 2008, Crespin presents three recent sculptures and a series of videos created in the late 1970s with his Apple II computer.
Starting with his early work, Crespin has shown interest in remotely moving elements in space. His technique arrives at unprecedented levels within his oeuvre with “Hiperficies” (2010), the biggest piece made by the artist so far (210 x 195 cm) and which gives title to the show. 120 concealed motors move 60 metal bars that remain suspended, only to create a series of spatial configurations. 60 individually moved elements become one body that transforms in the air, stimulates imagination, and expands our conceptions of form and space. The organic pace of the continuous movement compliments a mesmerizing experience for the viewer, who remains peacefully alert to the changes of the whole piece. Light plays an important role in Crespin’s work. The projected shadows create their own dance and become a reminder of the spectacle’s physicality. In “Tetralineados Orange” (2010) color becomes a central figure of the event. Aluminum and orange-Plexiglas squares follow the choreography conceived by the artist, in which the material opens new perceptive alternatives when elements superpose and reflect the surroundings.
As a whole, the show “Hiperficies” is an invitation to stop and look. It is true that to require time from the viewer to appreciate a piece is a high expectation to have these days, when everything is instantaneous. However, Crespin’s playful use of chaos and order, light and shadow, art and technology, is an enchanting experience in which the viewer just gives up and lets the magic happen.
