CD4 1997

Editor: We're looking at Alfio Giuffrida's "CD4" from 1997, which is listed as an assemblage incorporating ceramic. It’s a surprisingly stark image—the transparency of the CD case contrasts oddly with the rough texture of the ceramic elements. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: I see an interrogation of value, function and art. Giuffrida juxtaposes mass-produced, almost disposable, materials with the more traditional and 'precious' medium of ceramics. Consider the process: what does it mean to elevate this mundane object, a CD case, through its association with the 'aura' of handcrafted ceramic? Editor: So, you're saying the materials themselves are making a statement? Curator: Exactly. Think about the late 90s, when this piece was made. CDs were ubiquitous, symbols of consumer culture, quickly rendered obsolete by technological advancement. By attaching hand-worked ceramic elements, the artist is almost slowing down or interrupting the rapid cycle of consumption. What does that fragility and material quality mean in an era obsessed with immateriality of digital technologies? Editor: It's almost like he's questioning the planned obsolescence of the CD and by extension all technology of the day. Curator: Precisely. And isn’t that ceramic treatment suggestive of archaeological fragments, evoking notions of time, decay and preservation in direct contrast to the disposable nature of the plastic it’s joined to? Perhaps reflecting on where our "throw away" culture will eventually end. Editor: I never considered the 'archaeological' aspect of the ceramic, or that tension with mass production. That’s fascinating! Curator: By examining the materials and their specific historical and social contexts, we can understand this seemingly simple assemblage as a commentary on the shifting values of art and culture within the digital age. It forces us to re-evaluate these materials, process, and cultural commentary in our contemporary moment.