This installation combines new commissions by Marlon de Azambuja (Brazilian, born 1978) and Luisa Lambri (Italian, born 1969).
A new iteration of Azambuja’s ongoing series titled Brutalismo—referring to brutalism, the austere mid-century architectural style—this work is composed of materials gathered in and around Cleveland, emphasizing the sprawling city’s sometimes overlooked physical makeup. Called Brutalismo–Cleveland, the sculptures expose and celebrate the rich legacy of brutalist architecture in Cleveland and northeast Ohio, connecting the international movement’s signature aesthetics with a more regional history through the use of locally sourced materials.
Continuing her investigation of spaces designed by eminent male architects, Lambri created a suite of photographs depicting architectural elements of the CMA that serve as building blocks for her compositions. The series focuses on the museum’s iconic, striped granite wing designed by Marcel Breuer in 1971. Lambri’s signature light-filled prints offer painterly impressions of often unnoticed details and surfaces of rigid modern architecture. An accompanying installation by Lambri is on view in the CMA’s Ingalls Library in the general reading area.