Mark Hachem Gallery will be exhibiting the works of artists Francesco Marino di Teana and Darío Perez Flores at Zona Maco in Mexico in February 2018.

Dario Perez Flores, ‘Dynamique Chromatique 576’, 2017.

Darío Perez Flores

Venezuelan sculptor and painter Darío Perez Flores (b. 1936) began his artistic journey with abstract sculptures made from recuperated metal, and his works demonstrate both the stillness of a sculpture and the dynamism of kinetic art.

The artist’s ‘Dynamic Chromatic’ series, which will be on display at the fair, demonstrates his ability to visually capture the fluidity of motion with simplified shapes and manipulation of space. Each work, with its geometrical composition, depth and sharpness, manages to blur the boundaries between sculpture and painting.

Composed of several pieces of wood mounted with canvas, which are then painted to resemble metal, the works are intended to “fracture the painted space”. Putting his own spin on Op Art, perfectly vertical lines across his canvas pieces produce a subtle rainbow effect and demand attention with their illusory aesthetics.

Dario Perez Flores, ‘Dynamique Chromatique 571’, 2016.

Francesco Marino di Teana

The late Italian Argentine sculptor, painter and architect Francesco Marino di Teana (1920-2012)  blended the art of sculpture-making with his knowledge of architecture to create intriguing assemblages of steel. His sculpture ‘Liberté, Hommage to the General de Gaulle’ in Fontenay (France), standing 23 metres tall, remains one of the largest sculptures of Europe.

Francesco Marino di Teana, ‘Liberté’, 1988.

Francesco Marino di Teana’s outdoor steel sculptures command attention with their regal weightiness. The gallery will be bringing his steel maquettes to the fair. Rusting of the metal in these works, which has occurred over time, connects the artist’s modernist approach to nature.

Steel was a favoured medium to work in for the artist. “He could make a perfect plaster portrait and carve wood just as well but preferred steel, because he found it to be the most noble,” explains the artist’s son, Nicolas di Teana. Each dynamic work by Marino di Teana, whether a maquette, a scribbled sketch or a life-size sculpture, is testament to the artist’s commitment to making meaningful works that initiated dialogue with their surroundings and viewers.

Francesco Marino di Teana, ‘Hommage Aux Sciences’ (Nancy), 1978.

More information at markhachem.com.

This article was written by Tanya Singh and was first published in Art Republik Issue 17.