Noir ductile

Carmen Perrin (La Paz, Bolivia, 1953)
Commissioned by: CFF 

Following the renovation of the historic concourse of Cornavin station in Geneva (completed in 2013), a new main gate was designed by the Bolivian-born Genevan artist Carmen Perrin. Consisting of two doors, this monumental gate, weighing over two tons, is made of Ductal, a high-resistance fiber-reinforced concrete. This massive work, perforated by glazed circles of varying size, opens onto the panorama of the city outside. The multiple oculi – which particularly call to mind the circular motif of the clock on the station wall – made it possible to lighten the gate’s imposing structure and create a porosity between the station inside and the surrounding urban space. The flock of colorless and red bubbles brings a certain lightness into an environment agitated by the never-ending flow of travelers. It is also a recurrent motif in the work of the artist, who has made the gesture of perforation an identifiable sign of her work. Carmen Perrin graduated from Geneva’s École des beaux-arts (school of fine arts) in 1981, and started teaching there in 1986. Primarily a sculptor, she has been working with architecture and landscapes since the 1990s. Her works are built around the marriage between light and materials, whether industrial or natural, which she stretches, shapes, cuts or organizes in such a way that they enrich our perception and understanding of space.
Article commissioned by P3Art
Notice: Séverine Fromaigeat, translation: Matthew Cunningham