Detanico Lain. ESTRUTURA

About

Linguist/semiologist and graphic designer respectively, Angela Detanico and Rafael Lain (1974, 1973, Caxias do Sul, Brazil) question the use of graphic signs in society. ey are particularly interested in the notion and notation of the time and the forms, which it can take and thus create new writing systems by substituting traditional letters of the alphabet with forms from daily life. ese forms are then staged in the exhibition space giving this writing an unprecedented materiality.

e third solo exhibition by Angela Detanico and Rafael Lain at Galeria Vera Cortês is built upon the notion of structure; the structure of names, ideas and de nitions. e mechanics of small revolutions that appear in the interstices,
in the folds of sense. e possible inversion of form construction by de ning the boundaries from the middle. A ux of meaning, a owing river, transcodi cations and shi ings between di erent media. Recombining structures that rede ne themselves to unveil new planes of sense.

STRUCTURE, struc.ture (noun/verb)
1. e arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of something complex.

STRUCTURE
Sculptural writing, the backbone of the show: articulated column composed
of parts that correspond to the alphabetical order.
e letter “A” is represented by a 10 cm cube, the letter “B” by a parallelepiped measuring 10 x 10 x 20 cm, “C” by a 30 cm long bar, and so on until the letter “Z”, which is represented by a 260 cm long beam.
Using this code, the composition of elements measuring 50, 190, 200, 180, 210, 200, 210, 180, 10 x 10 x 10 cm composes the Portuguese word estrutura [structure] in the exhibition space.

2. e quality of being organized.

HORIZON
A horizon drawn with lines of text.
In a book, all pages containing the word horizon were selected.
In each page, the lines that contain the word horizon are preserved. All the other lines are erased.
e pages are shown side by side, unaligned, lined up at the horizon.

3. A building or other object constructed from several parts.

QUANTA COR
e names of the colors are described using a diagrammatic system of accumulation. Fields of color are de ned using the positions of each letter in the color’s name and in the alphabet.
e color is formed as the letters combine.
e word is completed as the layers of pigment overlap.

4. Construct or arrange according to a plan; give a pattern or organization to.

REVOLUTION
Letters move through space in a circular motion.
Like the planets around the sun.
Seemingly in disarray, new combinations emerge, possible words ick in and out of existence. For a moment, on the horizon, they are aligned in revolution.