Objects of Common Interest
Ellipse and Ellipsis

Ellipse and Ellipsis is a multimedia environment, with the ellipse and the ellipsis as guiding tropes. Both words stem from the Greek noun elleipsis, meaning “falling short” or “defect,” and, while shaping astronomical and linguistic contexts, can also serve as metaphors for how we relate to otherness— whether time, a living being, or a fantastical idea.

Ellipse and Ellipsis unfolds as a manifesto of possibility and a site for immersive speculation. The works by Anthea Hamilton, Gabriella Hirst, Jasper Marsalis, Jota Mombaça, Sandra Mujinga, Objects of Common Interest, and the Acousmonium ODAE by Neuf Voix form the tonicas of a scenography– where repetition, metamorphosis and possibility intertwine– to be deciphered through co-habitation. Elements that typically underpin the structure and organization of a space such as a wall, plants, a chair, a soundtrack, come forth activated and ambiguous.

A series of lightweight, air-filled structures inhabit the space, merging the oneiric with the technocratic. The Inflatable Chair by Objects of Common Interest extends the design duo’s ongoing research on inflatables—born from a desire to break free from the constraints of traditional materials and forms, echoing the utopian ideals of 1960s pneumatic experiments that envisioned air-filled structures as catalysts for radical spatial and social transformation. Realised in biodegradable plastic and designed to follow the natural form of the body in a state of repose, the chairs create an ephemeral landscape that oscillates between permanence and transition. Visitors are invited to contribute to a shifting topography shaped by their intuition, movements, and desires.

Ellipse and Ellipsis is the first in a series of contextual exercises curated by Vittoria de Franchis for the Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation, featuring works from the collection alongside new commissions. The exhibition inaugurates the new visual identity of the Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation, designed by Nationhood.

Curated by Vittoria de Franchis