The Gharfa experiential pavilion in the Saudi capital of Riyadh was presented by Studio Studio Studio, the interdisciplinary lab founded by Edoardo Tresoldi, to conceive hybrid cultural projects The context is the one of the Diriyah Oasis, the temporary creative project curated by Dubai-based studio Designlab Experience.
The work explores the link between people, landscape and architecture, taking as reference the theatre and its world that is made up of reality, illusion and technique: a creation that sees the participation of different creatives from different fields, such as the designer Alberonero – author of the installation Duna made of semi-transparent fabric, a white horizon that separates the visitor from reality – the musician Max Magaldi and the green designer Matteo Foschi, who combines plants with industrial materials. Tresoldi creates a scenario in which theatrical artifices are exhibited, in which projectors and scaffolding become part of the work.
Reaching 26 meters at its highest point, the structure made of wire mesh, in dialogue with cork, is a reference to the local ruins, creating paths and meeting spaces that can only be guessed from the outside. Gharfa contains some symbolic elements such as fire – a symbol of aggregation, shown through a projection – or the carpet – an object that is part of Arab culture. Sounds are also part of the installation: Max Magaldi’s sound work during the journey is always different and can only be perceived totally at the centre of the structure.
- Project:
- Gharfa
- Location:
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Lab:
- Studio Studio Studio, founded by Edoardo Tresoldi
- Collaborators:
- Alberonero (design of Duna installation), Max Magaldi (sound installation), Matteo Foschi (garden design)
- Temporary creative project:
- Diriyah Oasis
- Designed and curated by:
- Designlab Experience
- Commissioned by:
- Diriyah Season Committee