MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY installs 'dreamy coral-like structure' within historic abbey

from now until september 16, 2018, the belgian city of bruges is transformed, with the help of artists and architects, into a playground of public artworks and installations.

from now until september 16, 2018, the belgian city of bruges is transformed, with the help of artists and architects, into a playground of public artworks and installations. under the theme ‘liquid city’ — a metaphor for flexibility and resiliency at a time when nothing seems certain — the 2018 bruges triennial comprises an inviting trail of temporary structures that brings people together in unexpected places. as part of this year’s event, MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY has installed ‘nonLin/Lin’ within the nave of bruges’ grootseminarie, a 17th century cistercian abbey.

the project, which was originally produced by MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY in 2011, is an invited commission by the FRAC centre to create a new environment that merges digital and analog modes of experience. ‘nonLin/Lin’ represents an early prototypical work in mesh segmentation and structural stripes that, more recently, has been further refined into larger environments. ‘while this stands as an early proof of concept for our custom computational protocols of descriptive geometry, the environment is impressively thin and light,’ say the designers. ‘each module is made from 1mm thick aluminum stripes, and yet our team was able to crawl on the structure during its assembly.’

forming a Y-shape in plan, the piece twists and unfurls along the abbey’s main axis. upon approach, the pavilion’s scale is unclear, with curious visitors drawn inside the ‘dreamy coral-like structure’. ‘openings between connecting parts filter the light that spills through the clerestory above, alternately projecting shadow and dappled light onto its interior,’ explains MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY.

the project is made up of 6,367 non-linear stripes, and comprises 570 components that have been pre-assembled in 40 modular sections. the four-meter-high structure took three days to install on site, and can be readily taken apart and reassembled in different locations. until mid-september 2018, ‘​nonLin/Lin’​ is on display in bruges for the city’s second art and architecture triennial. elsewhere, as part of the same event, spanish firm selgascano has sculpted a sinuous pavilion that offers a peaceful retreat on the water.