When the artists at Studio Fludd were sent to a peaceful Italian island with a group of other artists, they decided to improvise a set of living tools out of random flotsam and other found objects. They took their inspiration from John Cage’s aphorism that “Poor tools require better skills.” The resulting tools are beautiful in a Gilligan’s Island/Apollo 13 improvisation aesthetic sort of way.
“We spent an entire week on beautiful La Certosa island, just in front of Venice but almost desert and far away. We reached our new temporary home by row boat (thanks to association Il Caicio) with the strongest wind. There we found a green tent and a intriguing KIT of tools and materials to work with during the following days. We decided to live and interpret the entire island as spread residence, following the natural suggestion of the several room-like spaces. We carefully collected natural and artificial finds, relics and trash, that we put together in order to create furnishings and furniture. These objects ended up to be an expression of the clash characterising La Certosa – an unique combo of a relative wild / chaotic environment and very neat, brand new constructions. Only with found things and given materials and tools (nails, inks, play dough, plastic strips) we arranged five rooms around: kitchen / living room, bedroom, meditation beach, alchemical laboratory and wunderkammer.”
Studio Fludd: Poor Tools [Thisispaper]
(via WTBW)