Press Kit | no. 985-10

In motion

Espoo, Finland

Baptiste Debombourg, artist

Art, Culture, Installation + Public art, Institutional Architecture, Institutional Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Sustainable Development, Technology + Science, Urban Design

Public art, commissioned by Aalto University in Finland

Paris, France, 2024-09-09 -

'In motion' is a public art commission by artist Baptiste Debombourg, curated by Outi Turpeinen, for the new Kide Building at Aalto University in Finland.

The Kide building was designed by SARC+SIGGE Architects, with Max Hartman as the lead designer for educational and research purposes for Aalto University’s School of Basic Sciences (Applied Physics) and School of Electrical Engineering. It is located at the heart of the Otaniemi campus and forms part of the long and recognizable campus view towards the Alvar Aalto-designed Undergraduate Center.

The artist's approach is inspired by the effects of light produced in interaction with the sea waves reflected on architecture and the landscape.

The important position of the building at a crossroads – a central passage of pedestrians, cars, trams and the vicinity of the sea – inspired him to create a logic of these interactions. The different dynamics, different speeds, and places of movement led him to choose a material that activates light and brings forward the theme through an undulating ‘topography’. The work functions like a window that opens onto a new abstract perspective between light and movement.

The mirror-polished stainless steel – slightly undulated – is a very resistant material that does not rust and withstands temperatures bellow 0. The artwork is installed at a distance of 30mm from the wall. The undulated mirror-polished stainless steel will introduce movement and dynamism to the installation.

By nature of its reflections, the landscape and movements will be amplified and attract the eye, stimulating contemplation and opening new perspectives – also for passengers in trams. It offers different types of atmospheres, depending on the intensity of the light, and works perfectly in average darkness.

The exterior shape takes up the structure of the windows of the 1st floor, from which an uninterrupted liquid flows, which ends up invading the space; while the interior represents a splash of a wave and welcomes the visitor with its movement.

The installation brings a new perspective to the building and materializes the entrance, while respecting its architecture and becoming a landmark for passers-by.

'In motion' – public art, commissioned by Aalto University for the Kid Building, Dipoli, Otakaari 24, Espoo, Finland. Curated by Outi Turpeinen. Technical information: mirror polished stainless steel (AISI 316), Dune small 3 mm Fielitz GmbH © laser-cut by Laserle Oy, technical drawing by Sweco Finland, installation&chemical wall sealing by Urmet Aare; in the exterior: 3745mm x 10092mm x 30mm; in the interior : 3200mm x 4750mm x 20mm & 3200mm x 2170mm x 20mm. Courtesy Patricia Dorfmann – Paris; Ipercubo Gallery – Milan; Krupic Kersting Gallery – Cologne; Studio Baptiste Debombourg – Paris / Credit photo : © 2024 Baptiste Debombourg | Adagp All rights reserved.

About Baptiste Debombourg

In his predominantly sculptural work, Baptiste Debombourg combines information and materials in experiments that unveil repressed, unspoken, or ignored stories. A willing "restorative" artist, he repairs walls, furniture, and objects, while at the same time exposing their marks. His work asserts itself primarily through its monumentality, but it is paradoxical, precarious, and fragile. It is a monument, as if in a state of convalescence, which pays tribute to destruction, to incomplete repair, even to resilience, rather than power. This play of mobile reconstruction, beyond its ironic aspect, is fuelled by a reflection on time, history, memory, and dreams - (excerpt) Guillaume Désanges, art critic, exhibition curator, and current president of Palais de Tokyo in Paris.

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For more information

Media contact

Studio Baptiste Debombourg
Debombourg Baptiste, artist
contact@baptistedebombourg.com
+33 6 77 84 04 74

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Low-resolution images ~ 5.57 MB

High-resolution tif images ~ 628 MB

High-resolution jpg images ~ 80.1 MB

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Baptiste Debombourg's public artwork for Kide building on Otaniemi campus

When designing the piece 'In Motion' for the Kide building, Frenchman Baptiste Debombourg started from the building’s location. Research and laboratory building Kide is located in a place where people, cars and trams pass by at different speeds. Debombourg wanted his work to have a reflective, mirror-like material that would also create a strong interaction between the interior and exterior of the building. 'In Motion' is the first permanent work of art by Debombourg in Finland. As the first university in Finland, Aalto University has a public art strategy and has committed to using one percent of building costs to fund art.

Video credit:

Aalto University

'In motion' – public art by Baptiste Debombourg, commissioned by Aalto University for the Kid Building, Dipoli, Otakaari 24, Espoo, Finland. Curated by Outi Turpeinen. Studio Baptiste Debombourg – Paris

Video credit: Baptiste Debombourg | Adagp

Press kit | 985-10 - Press release | In motion - Baptiste Debombourg, artist - Art - <p class="">'In motion' – public art, commissioned by Aalto University for the Kid Building, Dipoli, Otakaari 24, Espoo, Finland. Curated by Outi Turpeinen. Technical information: mirror polished stainless steel (AISI 316), Dune small 3 mm Fielitz GmbH © laser-cut by Laserle Oy, technical drawing by Sweco Finland, installation&chemical wall sealing by Urmet Aare. Courtesy Patricia Dorfmann – Paris; Ipercubo Gallery – Milan; Krupic Kersting Gallery – Cologne; Studio Baptiste Debombourg – Paris.</p> - Photo credit: Baptiste Debombourg | Adagp

'In motion' – public art, commissioned by Aalto University for the Kid Building, Dipoli, Otakaari 24, Espoo, Finland. Curated by Outi Turpeinen. Technical information: mirror polished stainless steel (AISI 316), Dune small 3 mm Fielitz GmbH © laser-cut by Laserle Oy, technical drawing by Sweco Finland, installation&chemical wall sealing by Urmet Aare. Courtesy Patricia Dorfmann – Paris; Ipercubo Gallery – Milan; Krupic Kersting Gallery – Cologne; Studio Baptiste Debombourg – Paris.