We introduce you one of the interventions of Ivan Juarez in Bahia dos Santos, a series of installations that explore the natural landscape of the island of Itaparica, and use elements, materials and meanings of the island itself.

The beach almond (Terminalia catappa), in Portuguese called Amêndoa or Amendoeira-da-praia, is one of the most representative trees of the coast of Brazil. A large tree that can grow up to 35 meters high.Their crowns are characterized by an stratified appearance, because of they overlap each other, generating a large crown of a dense foliage. That is why it is also known in many Brazilian cities as Sete-copas. Its large leaves, also used in traditional medicine, can measure more than 30cm and in August, they begin to acquire yellow tones to progressively go down before flushing to be completely dry. In many cases, some of the leaves resist until the last moment, when new shoots emerge in spring or until a strong wind finishes taking them. In winter, in the urban landscapes of the coast of Brazil, the fallen leaves covering streets and squares generating natural surfaces of different shades.

The installation "Amêndoa, suspended leaves", consist on the creation of a fragile membrane suspended in a landscape in a landscape of palm trees on the coast of the island of Itaparica. A piece conceived by the own landscape is generated through a mosaic of leaves of different shades - from yellow and orange to ocher, red and intense wines. The leaves, collected from under a large Almond located on the seafront, become layer that stands suspended between landscape and sunlight. A filter that sieves from high the natural light. Throughout the day, landscape lighting varies generating in the workpiece colorations to different reflections like a natural rosette, that is illuminated contrasting with the intense daylight. A piece that looks solid from a distance, but when someone is approaching and stands under it becomes fragile and delicate.

Read more
Read less

More information

Ivan Juarez,  architect, landscape architect and artist. He is a member of the National System of Art Creators through the Mexican National Fund for Culture and the Arts (FONCA). He is founder of x-studio in Mexico, after acting as co-director at ex-studio in Barcelona. His projects explore the relationship between art and function; integrating the disciplines of architecture, design, sculpture and installation. He has developed a wide variety of projects in different countries in which he investigates and experiments with new ways of relating space with society.

He has developed numerous projects (architecture, urban projects, site specific interventions, landscape interventions,  set designs, exhibitions, outfit) in different countries such as  Italy (Tuscanny and Sicily), Senegal, Austria, Switzerland, France, Greece, Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Huesca, Bilbao), Portugal and Mexico, which he has conceived them in reason and function of its physical context and could not be generated in other place than in the one of their conception and realization.

His projects in which he investigates and experiment with new ways of relating space with society—explore the relationship between art and function, integrating the disciplines of architecture, design, sculpture, and installation. In this context, he has developed numerous projects at different scales, from large to small buildings, from objects to city and landscape interventions.

He  has built projects in different countries such as Italy (Tuscany, Sicily and Sardinia), Senegal, Austria (Vienna), Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Huesca, Bilbao and Zaragoza), Portugal, Switzerland (Lausanne), Taiwan (Taipei) and Mexico, conceiving each project in reason and function of its physical context and they could not be generated in any other place than the one of their conception and realization.

He has been selected as one of top 10 emerging design firms in the Architectural Records Design Vanguard Award. His work has garnered different awards including: Design Vanguard Emerging Designers. selected by Architectural Record magazine;  Young Architects Award given by The Architectural League of New York,  AR award for Emerging Architects given by The Architectural Review in London , the New Generation Award, contractworld, Hannover, Germany, The Young Architects Prize, given by the College of Architects in Barcelona and the National Grant for Mexican Young Architects.

He has been guest lecturer and guest professor at different international institutes such as at the Architectural League of New York, at the Royal Institute of British Architects, at the Architekturzentrum Vienna,  at  the College of Architects of Catalonia in Barcelona and at the International University of Catalonia.

Read more
Published on: November 13, 2012
Cite: "Amêndoa, suspended leaves by Iván Juárez" METALOCUS. Accessed
<http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/amendoa-suspended-leaves-ivan-juarez> ISSN 1139-6415
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...