Sandra Muss is one of fifty international artists who will be exhibiting in OpenArtCode Florence in the Salone di Donatello of the Basilica of San Lorenzo. This site has a rich history, forming part of the Opera Medicea Laurenziana complex, which features extraordinary work by artists such as Brunelleschi, Donatello, and Michelangelo. By bringing a collection of painting, sculpture, photography, digital art and installations into this space, curator Vito Abba initiates a dialogue between the Renaissance and contemporary art, connecting works created half a century apart.

Permutations, Sandra Muss’ installation of seven nineteenth-century wooden doors illuminated by LED lights, will be prominently located at the end of the first aisle in the Salone di Donatello. Muss brings new life to these disused objects that, while formerly useful, have been discarded, corroded by the ravages of time. She imagines these doorways as gateways, portals between worlds that are thrilling, enlightening, and potentially transformative. This work draws from her travels to such diverse places as New Zealand, the Arctic Circle, and the Amazon. The way that Muss reflects on the passing of time, the mutation of everything, and the power of nature lend an immensely emotional, even spiritual, dimension to this work, one that is eminently suited to this religious site.

Door one, water, 2016. Transparent photo, found organic and inorganic material, unknown metal, wood, 92” x 35”

Door two, bouquet, 2016. Transparent photo, found organic and inorganic material, unknown metal, wood, 92” x 35”

Door three, underneath, 2016. Found organic and inorganic material, unknown metal, wood, 92” x 35”

Door four, desert meditation, 2016. Transparent photo, found organic and inorganic material, unknown metal, wood, 92” x 35”

Door five, animal, 2016. Found organic and inorganic material, unknown metal, wood, 92” x 35”

Door six, floating, 2016. Transparent photo, found organic and inorganic material, unknown metal, wood, 92” x 35”

Door seven, shutter, 2016. Found organic and inorganic material, unknown metal, wood, 92” x 35”

Permutations

Images courtesy Sandra Muss.