FACTUM ARTE

The Art of Piranesi: architect, engraver, antiquarian,
vedutista, designer. The making of the work

View the different elements prepared for the exhibition:

Objects: Isis Tripod
Objects: Candelabrum
Scagliola workshop
Objects: Fireplace
Objects: Fireplace: fire furniture
Objects: Altar
Objects: Helix Tripod
Objects: Coffeepot
Objects: Vase
Objects: Chair
Santa Maria del Priorato
Virtual Carceri

Factum Arte has collaborated with Fondazione Giorgio Cini on the production of a exhibition, curated by Michele De Lucchi, about Italian printmaker and connoisseur Giambattista Piranesi. The exhibition, The Art of Piranesi: architect, engraver, antiquarian, vedutista, designer (Le Arti di Piranesi: architetto, incisore, antiquario, vedutista, designer), will be showcased at Venice Biennial of Architecture, in the Sale del Convitto on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, from 28th August until 9th January 2011.

The Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720 -1778) was a man of exceptional skill whose vision contributed greatly to our understanding of Classical art and architecture. Initially Piranesi trained as an architect but went on to become an inspirational print-maker, publisher, archaeologist, antiquarian, dealer and, most importantly for the theme of this exhibition, a designer. His eclectic taste has had widespread and profound influence in particular on the Neoclassical styles that emerged in England and France in the 18th century.

The Art of Piranesi: architect, engraver, antiquarian, view-maker, designer has been built around Fondazione Giorgio Cini's remarkable collection of the artist's prints. It presents Piranesi's Prisons within a virtual reality installation, the Caffè degli Inglesi as a full-scale evocation, as well as a touch-screen browser to interact with Piranesi's sketchbooks. However, central to this exhibition are the objects made from Piranesi's designs using the most advanced digital technologies and output methods (3D printing).

These objects selected from the artist's designs have been chosen by Adam Lowe, Alessandro Martoni and Michele de Lucchi in conjunction with the leading authority on Piranesi's work, John Wilton-Ely. The objects primarily come from Vasi, Candelabri, Cippi, Sarcofagi, Tripode and from Diverse maniere d'adornare i cammini ed ogni altra parte degli edifizi. Whilst others are based on antique fragments discovered in Hadrian's Villa.

One of the prison etchings from the Carceri d'Invenzione series.

Factum Arte, voxelstudios and a team of specialist craftsmen working in Madrid have produced these objects. Some have been made using traditional modelling skills while others have been made digitally using ‘organic modelling’ software. This mix of technology combined with traditional craft skills and materials will hopefully result in a meaningful C21st re-interpretation of Piranesi's interests in an excessive and incorporative sense of design. The output from the digital file to the physical object is achieved by using a variety of fabrication technologies including stereo-lithography, milling, fused deposition modelling and 3D printing.

Each object has been finished in the original materials specified by Piranesi – these include bronze, marble, silver and gold leaf. There are seven objects that have been produced in small edition, these include a marble chimney, a coffeepot, two bronze tripods, a chair, a vase and a candelabra.

Piranesi’s fantastical prisons series Carceri d’invenzione is presented as a walkthrough installation designed by Michele De Lucchi with a series of 16 virtual 3D environments created from the artist’s prints by Gregoire Dupond at Factum Arte. These are projected onto large screens within the installation. The task was especially complicated as the spaces inside the prisons are not logical or coherent, but are ‘prisons of the imagination’.

Etching of Piranesi's Egyptian decoration in the Caffé Degli Inglesi.

The final element produced by Factum Arte for this exhibit is a printed reconstruction of the Caffé Degli Inglesi. Piranesi designed the interior of the Egyptian-themed Caffé Degli Inglesi in Piazza di Spagna, Rome. These designs were originally painted onto the walls of the cafe but are now only documented in two etchings in the Diverse Maniere. The reconstruction of the cafe also contains a selection of prints, mainly focusing on Piranesi’s fireplace designs which highlight his great interest in Egyptian decoration.

Adam Lowe, Pasquale Gagliardi and Emilio Quintè in one of the Factum Arte workshops viewing one of the enlarged prints which shall be showcased at the forthcoming exhibition.

June 2010 The Giorgio Cini Foundation along with the curator of the forthcoming exhibition, Michele De Lucchi, came to Madrid to view the progress of the pieces that Factum Arte are making for the show.

Guiseppe Pavanello, Pasquale Gagliardi and Alessandro Martoni at Factum Arte, Madrid.

Alessandro Martoni, Giovanna Latis, Michele De Lucchi and Adam Lowe at Factum Arte.

Pasquale Gagliardi in front of the Piranesi fireplace at one of the Factum Arte workshops.

Adam Lowe and Michele De Lucchi viewing other Factum Arte projects.

Isis Tripod

This tripod is one of the objects being produced in 3D from Piranesi's designs.

A preview of the rotating 3D model corresponding to the tripod above (work in progress).

Comparison of the 3D model and a first prototype. The 3D virtual version of one of Piranesi's etchings is shown here as a STL file (left) and produced by voxelstudios, Madrid, after which it has been prototyped by Materialise (right) based in Belgium . The process used to build this prototype from a STL file is called sterolithography, the tripod was divided into sections and then each part is built slice by slice from bottom to top, in a vessel of liquid polymer that hardens when struck by a laser beam. The prototype surface is then reworked by hand in order to add the more intricate details and after which a silicon mould is made from which the tripod shall be cast subsequently.

A wax positive of the foot of the Isis Tripod - part of the process of lost wax casting. The foundry work is being carried out at Fademesa, Madrid.

A wax positive of the leg of the Isis Tripod - part of the process of lost wax casting.

A wax positive of the 3 sphinxs from the Isis Tripod - part of the process of lost wax casting.

The prototype leg section of the Isis Tripod, cast in bronze in the Fademesa foundry in Madrid.

Selecting a ball of Alabaster from Antonio Soro's quarry in Fuentes del Ebro. This Alabaster will be used as the top part of the Piranesi Tripod.

Cutting the Alabaster.

Section of Alabaster.

Sanding the alabaster top in a basin of water.

Comparing the resin prototyped leg of the tripod to the newly cast bronze legs.

Welding the inner side of the legs together in the foundry, Fademesa.

Blow torching the bronze creates chemical reaction which adds a patina to the surface.

Adam Lowe experimenting with different chemicals to further develop the patina.

The adding the cut and polished slab of alabaster which forms the table top of the tripod.

The tripod after it's patina has been adjusted.

The Isis tripod as seen in the exhibition.

Candelabrum

Original Piranesi etching of the candelabrum.

A close up of the central section of the candelabrum in plaster before the final carving of the details.

Ángel Jorquera adding the details to the surface of the plaster cast from a clay model.

A plaster cast section of the candelabrum in the process of re-carving to add extra detail.

Ángel assembling the mould for the Candelabra.

Assembling the parts of the full Candelabra.

The Candelabra as seen in the exhibition.

Scagliola workshop

Shapes and texture in white vein scagliola with gypsum crystals and natural wax.

Fireplace

This is a screen shot of the 3D fireplace being modeled at voxelstudios in a programme called Zbrush, here it is being compared to the original Piranesi etching.

3D scanning of sculpted clay which shall form the decorative freeze around the fireplace.

Face models applied to relief details.

This screen shot of the fireplace was done by Materialise, Belgium, before being rapid prototyped. The cuts indicate where the fireplace was divided into sections to fit the prototype tank.

A short animation of the virtual modelling of the fireplace designed by Piranesi. The video is a result of voxelstudios organic modelling work.<

The resin prototype prepared by Materialise.

The resin prototype in front of the high quality print of the fireplace.

The resin prototype and print of the fireplace next to the print of Piranesi's Caffé Degli Inglesi.

A mold of one of the faces on the fireplace made from the resin prototype.

Factum Arte's team working on the composite marble fireplace.

Juan Carlos Arias applying the composite marble to the inside of the mould.

The composite marble fireplace removed from the mould and being hand finished.

The hand finished fireplace and the composite marble's qualities in different lighting.

The fireplace as seen in the exhibition. With the establishment of the scagliola workshop,
it was decided it would be better to make the fireplace in white vein scagliola.

The fireplace in white vein scagliola and gypsum crystal.

Holding the fireplace's interior to it's structure.

Fireplace: fire furniture

A turned section of the fire basket in the process of having its detail added.

The cast iron fire furniture before surface finishing.

Lauren welding the cast iron fire furniture (left). The fire furniture being assembled (right).

The fire irons before and after the final black patina.

Altar

Original etching of Piranesi's altar.

The basin part of the Piranesi altar, modelled in a programme called Zbrush at voxelstudios. The finished altar will be made out of a combination of bronze and marble.

Different parts of the altar being assembled in prototype materials.

Detail of the winged lion head on the Altar.

One side of the altar during assembly and prior to moulding.

Details of the base for the legs and the animal heads.

The altar cast in a resin marble mix, seen below in the exhibition. Following the exhibition,
it was decided the altar should be made in bronze with a scagliola top.

Sebastián Beyró and Silvia Rosende working on scagliola tests for the altar.

The bronze altar after patination.

The lion leg being remodelled

Helix Tripod

The second Piranesi tripod in production at voxelstudios. Here is the Zbrush model being compared to the original etching.

This is an early rendering modelled in Zbrush. The finished tripod will be cast in bronze.

Screenshots taken at voxelstudios of close-ups. The first two images show development of the interior creeper, the third image shows surface details in the central spiral of the goat horns.

A screen grab from a STL file created by voxelstudios.

The resin prototype prepared by Materialise.

The bronze cast tripod being compared to it's orginal etching.

Piranesi's tripod during assembly (left). Final assembly of Piranesi's tripod (right).

Gold plated sections of Piranesi's tripod (detail).

The routed alabaster top to Piranesi's tripod.

The finished tripod

The Helix tripod as seen in the exhibition.

Coffeepot

A rendering of the central section of the ornate coffeepot designed by Piranesi and included in “Diverse Maniere...”. This object clearly demonstrates Piranesi’s interest in the growth and development of natural form and his interest in applying this form to his philosophy of design.

A comparison between Piranesi’s print and a 3 dimensional rendering of the coffeepot during modelling at voxelstudios, Madrid.

The underlying geometry of Piranesi’s coffeepot while being modelled at voxelstudios, Madrid.

Designing the spout of the coffeepot, in the form of a bee, at voxelsudios, Madrid.

Progress of the 3D modelling at voxelstudios, Madrid.

The coffeepot prototype in resin by Materialise, Belgium.

The finished nickel plated coffeepot before the final polishing.

The nickel plated coffeepot.

Made from the negative mold, below are the electrolysis and handmade silver positives.

The Coffeepot as seen in the exhibition.

Vase

Factum Arte's Javier Barreno with the routed polystyrene vase in low resolution.

An assembled section of the high resolution stereo-lithographically printed vase before moulding.

Assembling the mould to cast the side of the vase.

A view of the mould for the vase from the inside.

The vase being assembled.

The four corners of Factum Arte's warehouse III in Madrid.

The vase with the first griffon.

The vase with three griffons.

The Vase as seen in the exhibition.

Chair

Michele de Lucchi and Adam Lowe inspecting a real-size model for the chair.

A selection of elements for the chair during production.

The shell-shaped back of the chair in an early stage.

As work on the chair develops, hidden parts are designed to fit Piranesi's work

Factum Arte's Eva Marí Segovia carrying out gilding tests with gold leaf

Before the gold leaf is applied there needs to be a tri-coloured base for tone

The final gilded chair

Santa Maria del Priorato

Factum Arte's team visited Santa Maria del Priorato in Rome to document the church's architecture and designs by Giambattista Piranesi. In addition to the realisation of the objects by Piranesi, a selection of these high resolution photographs is shown within the first section of the exhibition at Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice. The images have been produced as multi layered pigment prints. A selection of the photographs taken of Piranesi’s only realised architectural project will be made as a small edition.

Virtual Carceri

For the exhibition The Art of Piranesi: architect, engraver, antiquarian, view-maker, designer (Le Arti di Piranesi: architetto, incisore, antiquario, vedutista, designer) Gregoire Dupond has created a virtual animation of the 16 etchings from the Carceri series. Working from the second state of each print, a complex 3D environment has been assembled creating the sensation that you are walking into and around these contradictory and visionary spaces. The Carceri are the 'prisons of Piranesi's imagination'. The exhibition reveals how he managed to escape from the prison and turn his interest in the antique into a rich source material for his own sense of design and archicture.

The opening room of the exhibition contains a structure designed by Michele De Lucchi that houses 2 screens showing this twelve minute animation continuously.

Above, the 12 minute animation of Piranesi's Carceri series made by Gregoire Dupond at Factum Arte specifically for the exhibition. This series of 16 visionary images, originally etched by Piranesi when in his late 20's, shows the workings of his imagination, merging his architectural ambitions with his obsessive interest in antiquity. Watching Gregoire Dupond's animation is literally like entering Piranesi's mind. A CD containing both high resolution reproductions of the prints and the complete video will de released soon.

Click here to view the exhibition.

More...

THE EXHIBITION

THE MAKING OF THE WORK

THE PIRANESI COLLECTION