e-gloo, 2020, Magenta Studio, Ronen Bavly

What

Outdoor installation: Stainless steel; cutting, bending, welding, polishing and traditional construction

Who

Ronen Bavly founder of the Magenta Workshop (b. 1965)

Why

Ronen Bavly with the Magenta Workshop has created a work that explores an ancient and distant form of dwelling. The Inuit people, especially those living in Canada and Greenland, sought refuge from the extreme weather conditions prevalent in these area by creating igloos. These brilliantly designed dwellings make use of an accessible, natural material that leaves behind nothing but a puddle of water – an exemplary form of ecological construction. The e-gloo created by the studio, however, does not exhibit the same qualities. In contrast to traditional igloos, which preserve the heat on their interior and protect their inhabitants, this e-gloo is made of industrial stainless steel, which absorbs sunlight and radiates heat. Its futuristic surface reflects the surroundings, yet its multiple parts rupture and fragment the reflection. The studio members thus address the subject of global warming, which is the product of careless human behavior. According to scientists, the disappearance of glaciers will have numerous repercussions, including the disappearance of traditional igloos. The exhibited structure preserves the traditional building method, while raising questions about the relations of human beings to the environment and to nature.

Where

Outdoor installation at the Tel Aviv Biennale of Crafts & Design, MUZA – Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv