'Koraïchi plays with the number seven throughout the exhibition both theoretically and literally. The artworks appear in multiples of seven; there are fourteen canvases, fourteen steel sculptures, and a group of six alabaster tablets lining the path to a monumental tapestry.
It is a divine number and omnipresent.'
(Aicon Gallery)
For his third solo exhibition in the U.S., Rachid Koraïchi's long-standing collaboration with Factum Arte saw the production of new bodies of work, linked both to his Jardin d'Afrique and his exploration of calligraphy. Next to the large Jardin d'Afrique tapestry and the complete series of Les Vigilants (seven calligraphic sculptures in black painted Corten steel) created in 2021, two new series were also on display.
The six panels of Le Chant de l'Ardent Désir started as complex ink drawings supplied by the artist, which were digitised and CNC-milled on 3cm-thin alabaster slabs. The size of the panels (slightly over 1m) required extreme precision in the carving process, resulting in delicate, lace-like surfaces. They are the largest artworks by Koraïchi made in alabaster to date.
Detail of the thinness of the alabaster tablet © Oak Taylor-Smith for Factum Arte
La Montagne aux Étoiles is the result of the artist and Factum Arte's exploration of the balance between technology and traditional calligraphy. Drawings by Koraïchi were printed on painted canvas using elevated printing technology, which is able to accurately build the acrylic relief to the desired height and give an organic character to the calligraphy. In these first editions exhibited at Aicon Gallery, the lines were rendered in golden-white over a deep indigo background.
Elevated printing process of the acrylic over the painted canvas © Jordi Garcia Pons for Factum Arte
Rachid Koraïchi signing the prints in Factum's workshop © Factum Arte
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