Interview

Dec 7

Daniel Ariño-Espallargas

Daniel Ariño-Espallargas (Dipl. Arch, MAS UD ETH, Dipl. Bau-Ing. / SIA and COAC) was born in the Mediterranean city of Barcelona on the 11th of February 1987. Daniel moved to the german part of Switzerland in September 2012, to Einsiedeln, a village next to the picturesque Sihlsee Lake. He studied two university degrees simultaneously, Architecture and Construction Engineering. Daniel has the experience of studying Architecture in two different countries, at ZHAW in Switzerland and at ETSALS in Barcelona, on the same campus where he graduated in Construction Engineering. Daniel expanded his knowledge at ETH Zürich, where he graduated in the discipline of Urban Design with Dr. Prof. Marc Angélil.

All the professional titles/diplomas are registered in the SIA (Switzerland) and COAC (Spain), corporations that allow him to practice these professions. He worked for various Swiss architecture firms since September 2012 as a Project Director, and as Design Architect. The experience extends to teaching, where Daniel has worked as a Research Assistant in the two universities where he studied, ETSALS Barcelona and ETH Zürich. At the Department of Architecture and Urban Design at ETH Zürich University, he worked at Urban-Think Tank's chair. In the chair, Daniel imparted his knowledge in the subject Master Thesis, and in the Swiss state project SwissAIM as a researcher and urban designer. He participated in several exhibitions of architecture and urban design, under the projects “Breeze vs. AC,” “Informal Cairo” and “Advanced Informality.” The projects have been exhibited in Egypt, Georgia, France, China, Switzerland, and Italy. In 2016, he exhibited in the Egyptian pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale the project “Breeze vs AC” developed with Aknaw Yohannes. Among the most relevant research projects and publications, “Un-gated community” stands out, written with Hugo Pinto and published by Ruby Press in the book “Cairo Desert Cities.” As a visual artist, exhibited his artworks in Mallorca, Dubai, Athens, Zug, Berlin. The House Gravity Cut will be exhibited in the Miami Art Week from the 6th to the 10th of December in Miami.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I was born in the Mediterranean city of Barcelona in 1987 and moved to the German part of Switzerland in 2012. I traded the beach for the mountains and “Jamón” for fondue. At the age of nine, I was diagnosed with a tumor in my head, leading to multiple surgeries. My parents, as tutors, never authorized a procedure involving skull penetration. That's why, at the age of seventeen I prepared the requested documents, and on my eighteenth birthday, I underwent the most significant operation of my life. This fact was crucial on my studies because I was an average student. However, waking up from that operation changed my life, sparking a curiosity for learning and an obsession with doing. I went from not wanting to attend university to enrolling in two degree programs. Any of these two was art, but I graduated in disciplines related to art and creativity. In Barcelona, I studied simultaneously Architecture, and Construction Engineering, completing both degrees in one year difference. Later, at ETH Zurich, I obtained a Master's degree in Urban Design. These disciplines have allowed me to create a peculiar art, seeing art through the lens of an architect. But my perspective on art shifted drastically when I arrived to Zurich for my six-month Erasmus program. I found a room in Zurich Enge, a big house for ten people, nine of whom were young art students. In six months, I had an intensive course in art, contradictions, and “shame”—from Monday to Sunday, twenty-four hours a day, and I was part of that performance. I landed on a different planet which opened me the doors to a new dimension. There, I learned to question established rules and explore beyond the comfort zone. In that time I started to think about doing art. I recall my first artistic project as an architectural model. It wasn't the typical architectural cardboard model of a house; it was a concrete model of the emptiness, the volume of air within a building. Despite receiving a low score, I hold that model dear. I consider it my first project as an artist - a concrete sculpture symbolizing the air contained in a building.”

What inspires you?

“I am inspired by curiosity, knowledge, logic, experimentation, risk, uncertainty, sensuality, the senses, emotions, noise, complexity, contradiction, and beauty. However, I believe that the most interesting outcomes arise not from these elements individually but from the combination of some of them.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“I pursue confusion and reflection. My works should captivate the eye and the mind. The observer should feel drawn to the artwork and, at the same time, question certain laws.”

“I pursue confusion and reflection. My works should captivate the eye and the mind.”

How would you describe your work?

“My art pretends to be a windows to confusion and reflection, where the present “me” merges with the absent “me.” The artworks I design are houses, spaces, and places. Each image questions what is in front and what is behind, what is above and what is below, vertical and horizontal, symmetrical or asymmetrical reflection, gravity and zero gravity, heat and cold, sound and silence, measurable and unmeasurable, logic and arbitrary, straight or slightly curved, movement and stillness, natural and artificial, color and texture.”

Which artists influence you most?

“Philipp Schaerer: Possibly the world's best visual artist. I had the immense fortune of being his student in Zurich in 2012, where he taught me how to work and edit images. He guided us in the art of observing, focusing, composing, developing sensitivity, and enjoying the editing process. The way I create images is thanks to Philipp. Leandro Madrazo: Possibly the best teacher I've ever had, especially in composition and representation. He provided artistic materials and encouraged us to create synergistic and multidisciplinary works between art and architecture. The way I conceive the works of art is thanks to Leandro. Vasili Kandinski and his book "Point and Line to Plane." His theory of geometric forms captivated me and somehow influences me how I balance elements in my artworks. Wilhelm Worringer and his book "Abstraction and Empathy". His theory on how geometric forms speak to people helps me to engage in dialogue and enjoy the working process. Eduardo Chillida: I am captivated by the form and texture of his artworks and the negative spaces they generate. These five individuals are responsible for 80% of my artworks. I hope that if you merge them, comes an artwork very similar to mine. In a less apparent manner, El Bosco and his narrative contrasts, Thomas Huber and the impact of color in design elements, as well as Mies van der Rohe and how open and closed planes create distinct spaces.”

What is your creative process like?

“The process is easy, and the idea is very simple. Normally my curiosity arises from a concept, idea, person, technique, book that inspires and motivates me to explore it. I create a three-dimensional model of the "house" shape, an object and its negative spaces, specifically designed for that curiosity. A place where I can position myself and reflect. I render the image that captures best of what I am exploring. Subsequently, I edit the image, dismantling the three-dimensionality of the object and its surroundings. For example, with the House Gravity Cut: My curiosity was sparked by how I could balance a point, a line, gravity, and movement. I modeled the point, the line, and the anvil house in three dimensions. I rendered the perspective that best conveyed the state of balance. I edited the image to lose the sense of position in time and space.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“I can only talk deeply in the discipline that I know best, and if we consider that the architect is an artist, I wrote an article on LinkedIn about the role of the architect in society and how is evolving.”