As part of London Design Festival, East London gallery Béton Brut presented ‘Unbound’, the first dedicated retrospective exhibition of the work of Salvino Marsura, the Italian metalworker and artist.
Photography by Genevieve Lutkin showcasing Unbound, a retrospective of the work of Italian artist Salvino Marsura curated by Béton Brut
Words by Roddy Clarke
When reflecting on Unbound, a retrospective exhibition held at Béton Brut showcasing the work of the late Italian iron-artist Salvino Marsura, the gallery’s founder Sophie Pearce hopes visitors felt their way into the world of this singular artist. ‘I wanted them to sense the freedom of his hand. His hammer at the forge,’ she explains. ‘To enter the depth of Marsura’s psyche, concealed within folds of metal. To witness the interplay between the organic and the manmade. To burrow into the roots, tendrils and stalactites of this curated Marsuran underworld.’
Photography courtesy of the Marsura Estate, Italian metalworker and artist Salvino Marsura
Renowned for his intricate manipulations of metal, Marsura spent more than 60 years creating his body of work, from sculpture to furniture and objects. Handcrafting each piece from his hometown of Treviso in Italy, he learnt and honed his craft in the workshop of sculptor Toni Benetton before going on to set up his own studio. Marrying the raw aesthetics of brutalism with the ornate elegance of decorative arts, Marsura harnessed traditional techniques and tools, working at one with the forge, anvil and hammer as his co-creators.
Photography by Genevieve Lutkin, the interior setting curated by Béton Brut allowed visitors to see Marsura’s work within a functional setting while allowing its ornate beauty to take centre stage
To celebrate and reflect upon his work, Pearce curated Unbound, an exhibition spanning the six decades of his work including unseen pieces directly from his Treviso forge. Being the first major retrospective of his work, it also provided the perfect opportunity for the gallery to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Hackney Wick location last month. Taking place over London Design Festival, visitors witnessed the pieces styled alongside other notable designs including club seating by the early minimalist Jean Michel Frank, showcasing how Marsura’s creations were not only conceived as expressive forms but as functional pieces to be lived with.
Photography by Genevieve Lutkin, Marsura’s work often took inspiration from organic forms with his abstract creativity adding a signature flair to each piece
‘While the Marsura Estate is a wild landscape of tangled metal and perpetual creation, this exhibition aimed to bring the essence of Marsura into an interior context,’ Pearce continues, ‘with a restrained curatorial approach that let the work breathe.’ The exhibition came five months after the gallery had announced its representation of the Marsura Estate at Milan Design Week in April, where the gallery displayed works within Alcova’s Villa Borsani and smaller sculptures were showcased in Tutto Bene Studio’s Milan pied-à-terre. Also showcasing a series of ironwork mirrors as part of London Craft Week in May, London Design Festival provided the perfect opportunity for a dedicated exhibition.
Photography by Genevieve Lutkin, the exhibition is now closed but some of Marsura’s works can still be viewed at Béton Brut via appointment
With the gallery now in its twelfth year and garnering a steadfast following of global design lovers, Pearce has developed a distinct visual language that speaks to her curatorial eye. In selecting to work with the Marsura Estate, she says how the artist’s work has a duality she relates to. ‘Béton Brut was founded on instinct with works being sourced by heart and eye and, with Marsura, you have that feeling,’ she says. ‘With the gallery I have also sought to bring a coherence to the miscellany of vintage, every curation a reflection of my interior world.’ In witnessing the artistic legacy of Marsura take shape within the gallery, it is heartwarming to see his work continuing to exude its magic to contemporary design audiences. And, through the passion and creativity of contemporary curators such as Pearce, it is a beautiful reminder of how such artistry can continue to be celebrated for generations to come.
While Unbound may be over, many of the pieces are still on show at the gallery and are available to view via appointment.
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