Guggi, Memory to Form

Published to coincide with Guggi's exhibition Memory to Form at Château La Coste, 19 August - 24 September 2023.

Titled Memory to Form, and curated by Dr. Jon Wood, the show is a continuation of Guggi’s exhibition Broken, which was previously presented in Château La Coste’s Renzo Piano Pavilion. Guggi’s practice is characterised by its introspective and contemplative style, drawing on the spiritual and the transcendental through the depiction of everyday objects in their simplest forms. The vessel is one of the artist’s signature motifs and in its repetition, he has created a language of these precious objects, giving form to memories.

In this exhibition, the artist continues working with canvas, wood panel and distressed torn brown paper yet, rather than his signature palette of muted, earthy tones, he had now moved towards bright, vivid colours. While some works exhibit one plane of colour, many of Guggi's canvases and drawings are split into two fields of acrylic or oil paint demarcated by a vertical division. One side is washed white, whereas its counterpart is bright and bold. The colours are instinctive, as are the marks that emerge: crosses or hashes that may resemble a crucifix, an upright body, or perhaps a tree.

This publication features texts and quotes by artists including Jeff Koons and Bono alongside a complete overview of the exhibition.