Double Square 双方藝廊

Double Square Gallery is delighted to announce the dual solo exhibition of Cynthia Sah and Nicolas Bertoux, titled Synergy, which will run from April 13 to May 25, 2024. The exhibition marks the two artists’ first collaboration with the gallery together, which adopts the form of a dual solo exhibition featuring more than forty pieces of sculptures. Known for her use of marble, Sah injects a unique force of life into her works through the rhythmic contour of her sculpture that conveys a sense of Zen and softness. She interprets the concept of minimalist aesthetics by crafting precise, refined, and fluid lines to express the serenity and equilibrium discussed in Eastern philosophy through distinctively exquisite textural changes. Bertoux has long engaged in architectural design and public art. His work reflects a profound understanding and mastery of the relationship between artwork, site, and environment. He is known for exploring diverse forms and structural possibilities through reason and logic to highlight the rich three-dimensional spatial imageries presented by his works. This exhibition draws inspiration from the interweaving structure of organic elements unveiled by the philosophical idea of “synergy,” while investigating the manifestation of this idea in the dichotomous narratives of human thoughts. Merging the Eastern and Western styles of the two artists, the exhibition demonstrates the ample imagination of both independent artistic practice and collaborative creative work, showcasing a new realm resulting from co-existence and negotiation.

The exhibition explores how people need to look at details to gain a full picture when trying to understand something, and how difficult it is to grasp a whole structure directly. The summation of the whole is not just a logical process of addition but the collective result of organic interactions between separate elements. This interactive relationship surpasses any specific individuals or elements and transcends into a higher-level existence, displaying the complexity and uniqueness of a whole. The artists compare such interaction to the effect of “synergy” when one plus one equals three—thus, the artists emphasize how they are able to carry out individual art practices whilst living and collaborating with each other, and how they, as a team, can produce new heart-touching value through their interactions, joint effort, as well as inevitable trade-offs.

Soulmate, one of the pieces featured in this exhibition, continues Sah’s exploration of nature in her previous works, such as Leaf Variation, Fern, and Spine. On the one hand, this work shows the inseparable relationship between humans and Mother Nature, foregrounding a connection as vital as the bone structure while reflecting how humans and nature rely on but also wear down each other. On the other hand, Sah hopes that people can imagine art as a nourishing presence that can be passed from one to another, just like natural nutrients or energy is sent through the stems or petals to every leaf. To her, art stimulates individual creativity that lies dormant within and enriches the lives of those around it.

Livingstone is made of a river rock that Bertoux found at a local basin factory in Hualien many years ago. The green rocks has been shaped by river currents for years and has carried centuries of natural and human history. In Italy, this type of rock is known as “pietra morta” or “dead stone.” However, Bertoux contrarily calls it the “moving rock” and utilizes the computerized diamond wire saw to ingeniously create the wavy layers through the rock so that it can be re-combined into primitive forms and gain a new life. Moreover, through the wavy layers that can slide, a close interaction and dialogue between the audience and the sculptures is unveiled as well.

In addition, this exhibition showcases not only the respective works of the artists but also several models of their collaborative and large-scale public art projects and commissions. Over the years, Sah and Bertoux have worked together on multiple public art and large-scale landscaping projects. The models on view in this exhibition are from important collections of prestigious art museums, public and private institutions, as well as collectors. Viewed as landmarks and possessing historical meanings, these works have won great accolades in the global public art scene. Sah specializes in handcrafting models. Through her refined techniques and skills, such as polishing, cutting, and trimming, etc., she is able to produce smooth, elegant, and fluid curves using stone. Bertoux, on the other hand, approaches the environment with his keen perceptibility and uses digital technologies to construct sites and forms, bestowing concrete images to abstract ideas and exploring the interrelations between the routes of viewing works and the interplay of light and shadow. Through their collaboration, the artists have assimilated each other’s expressive methods. The organic sensibility permeating Sah’s work and the rational thinking informing Bertoux’s practice have become intricately interwoven while producing a vivid contrast that fills their collaborative work with tranquil, moving inspiration as well as a balance of tenderness and strength.