Vincenzo De Cotiis will be presenting his new body of sculptural work – titled ARCHAEOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS – at the new art centre, Ladbroke Hall, from 10th October 2023 to 28th January 2024. The exhibition will display the artist’s reimagined archways which are made from rare stones, recycled fibreglass, and Murano glass and crafted through a process of reclamation.

Arches have always maintained a presence throughout De Cotiis’ work, marking their enduring significance within architectural history. De Cotiis has deconstructed and reevaluated these iconic vaulted forms, challenging their ancient connotations and paving the way for fresh perspectives. The archway sculptures undergo a deliberate distortion and transformation in his work, and through his creative manipulation, De Cotiis challenges the long-held and unquestioned connotations associated with archways.

Elaborating on his creative process, De Cotiis explains:

“The arch embodies perfection, strength, and the capacity to bear structures, making it more than just a functional entity but also an aesthetic, sculptural, and decorative architectural feature. The arch is seen in various cultures and eras, starting from Greek and Roman times through to the Renaissance, and across various cultures, including the Italian and Islamic world, which underscores its universal allure.”

Vincenzo De Cotiis

He goes on to add:

“Arches symbolise transitions, a concept that extends beyond the mere human and earthly to encompass the ancestral. In today’s context, such transitions, which resonate with both the past and the future, are especially pertinent”.

Vincenzo De Cotiis

Presented within a contemporary ruin setting, De Cotiis’ sculptures themselves appear as new ruins, artefacts made of stone, fibreglass, glass, and metal, making them suggestive of future archaeology. The exhibition signifies a vision of the future where nature has acted upon, interpreted and transformed these creations.

The artist states:

“ARCHAEOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS is a collection positioned as a journey through time. It demonstrates a rediscovery of the past, an excavation of forms and structures uncovered from the sediments of history, and a projection of classical elements and contemporary concepts into the future. To experience the collection is to be removed from the present and placed elsewhere in time. An idea of decay is expressed thematically on the surface of each arch-like structure, which are materialised as metaphysical portals through which past and future are immediately connected.”

Vincenzo De Cotiis

“ARCHAEOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS showcases Vincenzo de Cotiis’ mastery as a sculptor. He invites us to question and reassess the traditional meanings of archways by reimagining them within a contemporary context. The combination of black onyx and hand-patinated fibreglass gives the sculptures a sense of temporal decay, which creates a unique interplay between past and future in the works.”

Loic Le Gaillard, Carpenters Workshop Gallery

About Vincenzo De Cotiis

Born in 1958 in Gonzaga, Italy, De Cotiis studied architecture at the Politecnico di Milano and founded his own studio in 1997. Considered a pioneer of the contemporary collectible design scene, De Cotiis creates one-of-a-kind and limited-edition projects by hand in his atelier.

Vincenzo De Cotiis seeks new manifestations that can conflate archaic idioms with futuristic expressions. His creations are born out of an assembly of recovered materials and reflective, futuristic surfaces and appear evocative in their final form. A form of art and design that is not replicable. Select works are available through Carpenters Workshop Gallery, an artist’s gallery in Milan, and at leading global design fairs.

As an architect De Cotiis creates sculptural spaces that evoke physical and intellectual experiences on the cusp of art and architecture, defying traditional categorisation between artistic disciplines. A fertile dialogue between the old and the new is a cornerstone of his work; history breaks free into spaces where the line between past and future blends. His work represents a winding path that often doubles back upon itself, one fuelled by parallelisms of space and time, cultural layerings and quantum leaps. A process imperceptible to reason and intellect yet manifested through the materiality of his countless works.

A prelude to this new body of work premiered in Milan earlier this year, with a focus on sculptures made of rare pink rhodonite.

ARCHAEOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS by Vincenzo De Cotiis
10th October 2023 – 28th January 2024
Ladbroke Hall
79 Barlby Road
W10 6AZ
ladbrokehall.com