How would you describe your art?
Atelier Sisu’s work reimagines how we experience the spaces we inhabit, and through abstract forms, illumination and sound scapes, creates vibrant sculptural and spatial experiences for the audience to explore on an architectural scale. We are not designing for a target demographic but for everyone: anyone that may enter the space deliberately or serendipitously.
When were you first drawn to your art form?
Pubic art should not require an explanation. Also, the intent of architecture as a long-term solution for future generations has shifted, with structures no longer needing to be permanent. For a city to be successful, it needs to breathe and grow. And as part of that ever-changing social fabric, public art plays an important role. Temporary activations such as the pieces that Atelier Sisu create reflect the cultural and social values of a place at any given moment, further contributing to the sense of place and belonging of a city.
Did you study fine arts, or are you self-taught?
Pasfield has a background in architectural design and Larriviere a background in industrial design and fine arts. Through Atelier Sisu, we explore this intersection of art and architecture in the public realm.
What draws you to your subject matter?
Public art does provide its own set of challenges and parametres by which traditional art mediums are not necessarily bound. Unlike private spaces, public spaces come with a sense of ownership from their community. This is a point that needs to be carefully considered when artistic intrusions and urban interventions take place. Temporary public artworks require inherent adaptability in order to form a relationship with the spaces in which they are situated. For this reason, Atelier Sisu looks towards a more abstract subject matter, allowing the audience to interpret and experience the artworks in their own way.
Something people may not know about your tools?
Sisu is currently exploring the use of air to create large-scale ‘art-chitectures’ through the medium of inflatable forms. The use of inflatable structures allows us to create large, architectural-scale artworks that can be installed rapidly in one location and then removed and transported elsewhere without the need for large machinery or extended construction periods. It is a medium that requires a lot of planning, prototyping, testing and risk taking.
Is there anything you’re currently working on?
Atelier Sisu has just premiered a new collection titled Elysian. It was commissioned by the City of Liverpool, UK, and was exhibited for two weeks in the heart of the city. The work is a visual representation of joy. We were overwhelmed with the reception and are looking forward to showing it back home in Australia. We are currently working on a collection of small-scale, wall-mounted artworks that are designed for the home or office space, exploring how our work can be moved from the public and into the private.
Above: Atelier Sisu (Renzo B. Larriviere and Zara Pasfield). Courtesy: the artists.
