"Duck"
Alberto Favaro 2023
Ceramic
Exposed at
Clay/Craft/Concept
Malta Society Of Arts,
2024 Valletta
Short description
In “Duck” collection the ceramic transposition of plastic is above all a denial of its use. Toilet detergents require the action of squeezing, which is no longer possible with incompressible ceramics. This mechanical change of the material discloses a short circuit of meaning and defines the uselessness of the object. This transformation highlights the inherent tension between functionality and art, challenging traditional uses and meanings, and resonating with Theodor Adorno’s notion of art as a non-functional object.
“Duck” is a liminal object, it has the shape of a toilet detergent but ennobled by the ceramic material and decoration. It belongs simultaneously to two distant worlds. It can be displayed both in a cabinet of ancient ceramics and in a supermarket compartment, camouflaging itself in both places. It can be a metaphor for an ugly duckling with a noble soul as well as for a grotesque disguise that fails to hide a profound essence.