Peristylum Capitalis

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PERISTYLUM CAPITALIS

The Peristylum in Luxus Gallery, 1996

Like Cella Capitalis, Peristylum C. began as a context for the presentation of two individual works. A triptych by Jan Reinhardt, an object by Martin Helm.

While searching for a suitable exhibition space, they came across an ‘artists initiative’ gallery called ‘Luxus’. Run by a group of artists, it was the opposite of the official clean white well-lit authoritative capital G Gallery.

This presented them with the freedom to explore other ideas to the fullest.

The space itself seemed challenging: Light fixtures were limited, colours were drab, and in the central exhibition area two concrete columns, dressed with mirrors (a remnant of Luxus’ past life as a shop), appeared to be standing in the way.

It were these columns, however, that fascinated them, and formed part of the context for the combined works.

With these columns they could define, within the walls of the gallery, an inner and outer space. This concept, explored in Cella Capitalis, could now be further expanded upon in another classical theme: The Peristylum.

A Peristylum, in the classical sense, is somewhat like an inverse Cella. Columns surround an open space, the darkness of a building surrounds the columns. A Peristylum opens op towards nature in the shape of a garden with, air, light, the sky, while still being surrounded and protected from the outside world.

To create the Peristylum they had to add several more columns, concentrate the lighting to the space within, and darken the surrounding ambient space.