Achromia, by India Mahdawi at Carwan Gallery
What: Iranian-born, Paris-based architect and designer India Mahdavi calls herself “a polyglot and a polychrome”, implying that she uses many different design languages and loves bringing colours together in brave new combinations. At her current exhibition at Carwan, she sticks to classical white. Notable for referencing disparate cultures and disciplines, thanks to influences gleaned from a nomadic childhood that led her from the Middle East to New England to Europe, her projects spanning the fashion, furniture, retail, and hospitality industries, serve as building blocks of Mahdavi’s kaleidoscopic world. The new commission by Carwan Gallery is a reflection on the link between India Mahdavi’s work and the erasure of colour from classical art and architecture. The challenge given to Mahdavi was to reinvent her most iconic objects and translate them into a ‘contemporary error’ of art history by removing colour from them, resulting in achromia — which lends the exhibition its title. The series of objects is composed of signature pieces designed by Mahdavi over the past two decades, ranging from the iconic Bishop series to the Alber and Diagonal tables, executed in marble. This unique new expression of them being colourless unveils each object’s true lines and geometries. All objects are carved in Pentelic marble, a material chosen by sculptors and architects throughout history for its excellent quality and its white colour that has a golden sheen when hit by sunlight. Each object is handmade in Greece, combining advanced digital technology and craftsmanship at Delta Marmara workshops, on the outskirts of Athens.
When: Until August 13, 2022
Where: Carwan Gallery, Polydefkous 39, Piraeus. Tel: +30 210 411 4536, carwangallery.com
