Projet végétal

Maria-Carmen Perlingeiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1952)
Commissioned by: State of Geneva and Banque Darier, Hentsch & Cie
Collection : Fonds cantonal d'art contemporain (FCAC)

In the area surrounding Uni-Dufour’s clean, gray, concrete lines, a discreet art intervention highlights and accompanies the austere architecture of a building broadly disparaged by locals. On the perimeter, behind the outer walls, in planters: roses, a vine, cypresses. In order to give new life to the building, Maria-Carmen Perlingeiro used plants, creating a work that would change with the seasons, one that is ephemeral in its blossoming and durable despite changes in temperature. The various shades of green throughout the year, the red tones in summer and orange in autumn show the building and its massive volume to advantage, while also softening its impenetrable character. The three cypresses that welcome visitors and users stand at the entrance with an elegant verticality. The artist sees them as representative of longevity, spirituality and wisdom, like an allegory of the university. Alongside them, carpets of grass wake up according to the seasons, shaping a new perception of the building. From Brazil to Geneva, Maria-Carmen Perlingeiro first practiced drawing assiduously before discovering sculpture. She hewed marble, then alabaster, which quickly became her material of choice, its veins and transparencies enabling her to create abstract forms with organic and anthropomorphic accents.
Article commissioned by P3Art
Notice: Séverine Fromaigeat, translation: Matthew Cunningham