Throughout De Cotiis' practice, arches have maintained a recurring presence, symbolising their enduring significance within architectural history. By deconstructing and reevaluating these iconic vaulted forms, De Cotiis challenges the arch's ancient connotations, paving the way for fresh perspectives. While focusing on the archway as an architectural object, the sculptures undergo a deliberate distortion and transformation. Through this creative manipulation, De Cotiis challenges the long-held and unquestioned connotations associated with archways, presenting them as timeless entities.
For this exhibition, the artist created contemporary sculptures, inspired by ancient archways and made from rare marble, recycled fibreglass and Murano glass and crafted through a process of reclamation. In these artworks, the artist takes a perfectly conceived structure and reworks it in his own image, revolutionising the arch’s ancient and previously unchallenged connotations. Representations that historically celebrate strength and triumph are transformed into amorphous archaeological rejects, simultaneously iconic yet neglected.
Presented alongside works from other series including Baroquisme, De Cotiis’ sculptures themselves appear as new ruins, artefacts suggestive of future archaeology. The artworks signify a vision of the future where nature has acted upon, interpreted and transformed these creations.
