The daily symbiosis between the city and art

Large-scale interventions in public spaces dialogue with the observers through the psychology that radiates from the pleasure of calmness. The abstract work of the French painter Guillaume Bottazzi seeks to bring the art that regularly traverses the city closer to the citizens. The inspiration originating in the sensuality encapsulated in Latin culture marked the beginning of a life dedicated to art. Guillaume Bottazzi migrated from France at 17 to the Italian city of Florence. It was here, in one of the centres of Western culture, that he started to perfect a visual language that is dedicated to occupying public spaces from the point of abstraction.

“My works in public spaces are usually permanent, but an exhibition in a museum is a fleeting moment”, Bottazzi explains. He has been utilizing open-air structures in urban locations such as Brussels, Hong-Kong, and Tokyo to convey a message that, according to the artist, transforms the aesthetic experience into a daily element. For the French painter, constantly putting work on display for the audience helps him understand and experiment art as a reality that adds value to day-to-day life.

The manner in which the poetics of the artist takes over the space causes an impact on the observer. In a dialogue between work and environment, the bonds between individuals and their environment are emphasized through the monumental scale of each piece. These characteristics motivate the observers to move around to appreciate the piece in its entirety. The immersion achieved through discovery involves all these elements organically. This way, “the work becomes part of the personal experience of the audience”, explains the artist.

“I believe that rules must be broken at the moment of creation,” Bottazzi states. For him, boredom stems from repetition, and inspiration can’t be reduced to structures due to its rebellious and capricious nature. “Creating a work of art, for me, is an act of sublimation, a way of overcoming one’s own personality,” he confirms.

The penetration and impact caused by Bottazzi’s creations go beyond the volume conjured up by three-dimensionality. The interventions are set up as part of the environment; an environment that the visitors reclaim from a new perspective when they see it intervened by the artist. Psychology plays a vital role in this conversation, as it’s the mediator that gives shape to the subjective experience in each observer.

The immersive tools provided by abstract art allow Bottazzi to create ethereal shapes that, as if they were steam, are blurred and blended with the surface. ”The support is an integral part of the piece and gives off the idea of infinity. I ‘m showing the visible and invisible,” the painter says. To exemplify this, it suffices to look at the role of light, which crosses through the frames that delimits and contains each painting.

The large sizes that Bottazzi’s creations usually have require the artist to spend weeks working in public places. From the beginning, the creation of the work is open to bystanders. This performance act opens the intervention to the public that traverse the area. The final result radiates pleasant and calming sensations that accompany the pedestrians that frequently pass by the location of the work. This is how art becomes a daily principle in the life of ordinary citizens.

The vertical and horizontal lines that shape the cities and foster anxiety among their inhabitants are in symbiotic contrast to the relaxing and delightful curves whispered by Bottazzi. In this manner, the audience isn’t directed towards any specific direction, as the works are abstract and don’t carry titles that guide perception under the structure of a predetermined narrative. For the artist, “a work of art defies the creative potential of the observer. Like Kandinsky, I think that art is “evolution”. Art influences the development of the observer.” The author behind the piece acquires a secondary role; it’s no longer the artist telling their story, the intention is to cause a psychological effect in the observer.

Juan Paolo Casado, Bachelor of Hispanic Literature – Arte Al Limite – June 2017