M+S Architects (Migliore+Servetto Architects), led by Italian architects Ico Migliore and Mara Servetto who explore the expression of light and space, is holding its first-ever solo exhibition in Korea. Through June 29, M+S Architects is presenting 'Lightmorphing — Subtitle: From Sign to Scenary,' an exhibition tracing the journey from the conception of an idea to its realization, at OnGround Gallery, located on Jahamun-ro in Jongno-gu.
'Lightmorphing' is a term coined by M+S Architects, combining 'Light' and 'morphing' to convey the concept of 'the process by which light transforms within a space.' The exhibition aims to present M+S Architects' design philosophy and approach to Korean audiences in an accessible way, focusing in particular on the firm's research into the interrelationship among light (illumination), structure, and space.
'Lightmorphing' is the concept of breathing life into installations and structures that interact with natural and artificial light, as a way in which M+S Architects has, over many years, composed space through light and fused and amplified it. Ico Migliore and Mara Servetto explain, "This exhibition focuses on the power of the infinite relationships among space, light, and structure in its dynamic, ever-changing dimensions."
Visitors can experience the concept of 'Lightmorphing' firsthand through three main scenarios approached from a variety of perspectives within the gallery. The first section presents Ico Migliore's studies and drawings; the second displays a special installation that distills the concept; and the final section is composed of a video room.
The first section introduces the 16-piece 'Red Light Architecture Collection,' previously unveiled at NCTS (Noroo International Color Trend Show) in 2017. This collection reveals the architect's creative side. Notably, the red light within the works is used not merely as a design element but as a tool that marks the boundary between real space and represented space. The result of this experiment presents a kind of immutable frame that seems to capture a single moment — expressing a single instant in which light and space have been transformed by a red filter.
Here, the color red becomes an essential medium for generating the core elements and design philosophy of M+S Architects. The collection is displayed together with the original A6-sized sketchbooks that serve as the fundamental means for advancing the idea-development and design-development processes.
In the second section, tapestries made from a new material called 'i-Mesh,' referred to as 'Shades,' are on display. Inspired by transparency, these tapestries are open, highly permeable installations whose impression changes according to the interaction of light with the surrounding space and background. Harnessing these technical characteristics, they express the visual language sensed in their texture and the relationship formed between light and the surrounding space — in perfect harmony with M+S Architects' design philosophy.
In the final section, video equipment is installed to provide narration on the major projects M+S Architects has carried out around the world. These include 'α-cromactive,' a permanent installation within the greenhouse of Intesa Sanpaolo in Turin, as well as B&B Italia's 'The perfect density' and an urban environment design project conducted during the 20th Turin Winter Olympics.
Also introduced are 'The Perfect Time,' created in collaboration with Whirlpool at Milan Design Week 2019 — the world's largest design exhibition — 'Connections, Connectors and Connectivity,' created in collaboration with Tecno at Milan Design Week 2016, and 'Coats! Max Mara, Seoul 2017,' exhibited at DDP in Seoul in 2017.
This exhibition offers an opportunity to glimpse the artists' distinctive design approach and modes of expression (the density of light and space, expressive methods that employ layering, the use of red, and more), as well as insight into their research and design philosophy. 02-720-8260