NILUFAR presents “Please Do Not Sit” a new solo exhibition by Shlomo Harush

Acclaimed for transforming commonplace materials like aluminum, bronze and steel into artistic experiences, Shlomo Harush (1961) has been experimenting with various media to create transformative and multidisciplinary art that portrays the human condition in its state of perpetual metamorphosis. For the milanese exhibition “Please do not sit” - set up at Nilufar, Via della Spiga 32 - Shlomo has created a series of installations and works that stretch the boundaries between art and function, between two-dimensional drawing and three-dimensional sculpture, and between words, ideas and material. We asked him a few questions.


Photo courtesy by Filippo Pincolini

What was the main inspiration behind the exhibition, Please Do Not Sit?

In my mind, there are so many works that are just waiting to be created. They are a part of who I am – my identity – day in – day out. They are conceived, not as single ideas that are fully complete, but, instead, they are born out of a continuous adaptation of thoughts over days, weeks, months and sometimes years that come together. Then one day, the right moment arises to create them.
The “Please Do Not Sit” exhibition at the Nilufar gallery is the embodiment of many years of thoughts, coming together in one project. A single container, where the main challenge was to allow each work to stand on its own, whilst being part of something bigger, living together in the gallery’s space - creating something totally innovative. I blend everyday subjects and objects into my work, sculpture, three-dimensional drawings, and photographs, manipulating them to turn from the archetypal towards new and unexpected emblems. Through functional objects, sculptures can develop into a deeper relationship. A different interaction to that you may experience with a drawing or a painting, or even other less-functional forms of sculpture. You touch it – feel it – use it. Not always, but frequently. Through marks, incisions and textual tattoos, I look to enhance not only the visual relationship, but the feeling of the artwork. From an intellectual and visual connection, it becomes physical. In this exhibition I combine multiple languages, working with copper and brass alloys to draw common objects into sculpture, and, syncronously sculpting these objects into drawings. The materials bring color and warmth, reflecting light differently. In some of them, tattooing the sculptures with words and drawings. Thoughts that pass in my mind, whilst I am working with its personality. This tattooed material manifests a sense of a skin. I move from a solid mass of copper, into a transparent figure in brass wire. Allowing the light to draw its projected image on the wall or floor, providing infinite perspectives, evolving in every single moment in time.


Photo courtesy by Filippo Pincolini

A collaboration is always a conversation between two identities: how does your aesthetic vision blend with the identity of Nilufar?

In any exhibition, a strong relationship between the artist and the gallery is of greatest importance. In the end, possibly the same works of art would still be made, but each installation of those same works of art exhibited at different galleries would provide very different interpretations. The “Please Do Not Sit” installation at the Nilufar gallery is also a result of its space. It is the interaction between one piece and another. Between one artistic language and another - the works and the space - the works and the street and people passing outside.

My relationship with Nina Yashar, the founder and owner of the Nilufar gallery, started 18 years ago, and, from the outset, I greatly admired her courage to experiment and push the boundaries between vintage and contemporary – especially with regards to functionality and art. The dialogue between myself and Nina, in many ways, has led to this exhibition. That is, a platform to communicate this complex interrelation that lives between functionality and artistic expression. An installation, like this one, provides a differing perspective to the works of art, pushing the boundaries. It is a result of the strong common ground I share with Nina, and the space of the gallery that is a reflection of her will and driving spirit. The gallery is not a white empty space – it comes with its own character - a feeling – lighting from inside and outside from the street – relationship of areas – movement and purpose. It has a long history, in Via della Spiga, where each artistic event and experiment has left its mark on the space. All of this affects the installation and experience that can be felt. The conversation is not just “me and her”, or even “me and her space” – it is a complex relationship between all three elements. As an artist, you need to deal with all of this – embrace it – find a way to speak with it. Find your way into the space with your works of art, and, at the same time, find a way into her world. This dialogue, between “me and her” and “me and her space”, creates something unique. It is this exhibition – a special conversation between art and function.


Photo courtesy by Filippo Pincolini

Can you tell us about the creative process and the challenges you faced in creating these unique pieces?

In my art, although the intellectual part of thinking or creating always has its strong presence, the very physical efforts I use to create are fundamental to my process and how I communicate. I give form to my thoughts that result in the works of art, but in an exhibition like this one at the Nilufar gallery, the important challenge is to create something whole. Where each work speaks to the other and the works communicate with the gallery’s space. An exhibition is a single idea that communicates as a unique work, even if made up of numerous works. It embraces the space and becomes a part of it.
Working with metal provides a different impact. The dialogue with the material is extremely physical. Contrary to other mediums, with metal you need to take into consideration the effort and physical response of the material. I express myself through this powerful interaction between the artist and the material, shaping its form with my thoughts. When I work with metal, I try to follow its essence – asking it to accept my expression, without dominating it. I look for the relationship between physical exertion and the intellectual creativity.