Colour as...
Context:
I’ve grouped these three works from @maiderlopez.art Ukitu exhibition (@kutxafundazioa @tabakalera_donostia) because they reveal how colour can serve purposes beyond decoration.
The first, Zoom in 2016, explores colour in the landscape of Kapadokya.
Through a meticulous process, Maider captured an exact palette from the area. Out of context, the colours could seem detached, yet in close-ups, they unmistakably belong to that place.
It reminded me of how memory reshapes places, how we interpret them with past experiences or as we wish to remember them. And as a designer it reminds me how important it is to take time to understand a context because it is vital to create truly meaningful interventions.
The second project, 327x1383 is site specific and raises awareness of the space configuration where art would have traditionally been displayed, using scale and colour. At first, the measurements can confuse, some fade into low contrast, but gradually we grasp the units of measure, the components of a room, and our own scale within it.
We often walk through museums unaware of the rooms themselves, or without giving a thought to the curators’ effort to understand the "shell".
Observing this piece made me think how valuable this approach could be to explain site specific design implementation (beyond Pinterest visuals).
Time:
Finally, in Caja de 120 lápices de colores 2025, colour meets time. Maider measured time by how long it took to use up each of the 120 colouring pencils using A4 sheets as a base for doodles. (It took roughly 9 years of the process "with varying degrees of regularity" )
We usually think of time in minutes, but it can also be measured in experiences, visits to our homeland, projects, or meditations like this one. Here, time unfolds through repetition and intention.
For me the lesson was: in the wake of AI in particular, and mindful that our shared way of measuring time was shaped by commerce, administration and coordination, should we, as individuals, start relating to time differently? I.e. beyond work/ productivity?
I have more written about the exhibition. Watch the space 😊
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