Known for challenging conventional concepts and pushing the boundaries of art and design, Brian Thoreen’s ‘Non- Zero-Sum’ presents over ten functional and six non-functional works, unveiling his mastery in finding progressive ways to manipulate materials beyond the conventional. The pieces on view showcase a bold exploration of shape, form, and utility, resulting in a diverse presentation of functionality and material in each piece.
This dialog between function and form is beautifully portrayed in large sculpture-like pieces, such as the two- meters candle made from 200 kilos of raw cast beeswax, unexpectedly exhibiting the object's mysterious and sensual aspect. Combining seemingly different materials comes a table made of twirling free-form rubber with cast bronze boxes and hammered copper elements, increasing the possibilities of its standard use. Enchanted with the diversity and multiplicity of rubber, Thoreen also presents a chair made solely from folded and stacked heavy neoprene consisting of nearly two tons of material while maintaining a sinuous tactility. In conversation with the collectible design pieces, Thoreen reveals a series of artworks, including a triptych of large works on paper displaying a binary code landscape by inscribing small charcoal sticks into the paper. Through materiality and conceptuality, the piece merges digital and analog. Standing between functionality and non-functionality, the triptych contains coded information, yet the information is kept secret from the viewer.
The breath of Thoreen’s current studio practice offers a continuation and expansion of his longstanding interest in making the static and kinetic laws of the universe visible, and the collision of a physical material with personal experimentation wrestling with the forces of gravity, displacement, velocity, mass, and scale.
| Hours | By Appointment |
| Venue | MASA Galeria |
| Type | Design Exhibition |
| Duration | By Appointment |
| City | Mexico City |
About
MASA Galeria
MASA walks the blurry line between art and design. Collectible design. Experimental design. To show, to curate, to write, to build, to question, to provoke, to educate, to learn: these are the desires. Desire might even be at the center of this adventure. MASA is a nomadic project offering space for discourse about design. MASA is cornmeal, a pliable material that quells hunger and sustains culture. With digital, physical, and conceptual presence, MASA challenges convention and presents ideas on a global stage. With an effort to open up conversation and dialogue around material culture, MASA curates exhibitions offering work with integrity, direction and value. MASA was founded in Mexico City by a collective of creatives — Héctor Esrawe, Age Salajõe, Brian Thoreen and Cristobal Riestra, along with Isaac Bissu and Roberto Diaz — whose backgrounds in art, design and architecture are reflected in MASA’s presentation of design at its boundaries.
