This Is Not A Teapot

Posted by Artemis Papageorgiou on August 3, 2011 · 1 Comment 

This Is Not A Teapot is inspired by the semiotics of language used in the homonym painting of Magritte (Ceci n’est pas une pipe). What happens to an object when its formal language does not speak of the object anymore? A pipe, when painted is not a pipe anymore but a representation, and the written text below speaks the same truth.

However, this dual language (of text and image) which creates a tautology is well hidden behind the image of a very truthful pipe. At least at a first glance. A similar tautological language is explored in this project. Three fake teapots and an electronic playback mechanism that states their fakeness. And yet, they are teapots (?).

The margin between the object, its representation and the language used to describe it becomes a space for experimentation and conversation… And so the project begun. A mould and many replicas until the right three ones are chosen. An opaque white, a semi-transparent and a see-through…And then the electronics, the design of the final objects, making them.. Next step a series of drawing performances at the Chi-Tek Tea Party held at the V&A Museum on September 24&25 organised by MzTek, as part of the London Design Festival. More updates to come as me and artist Mia Gubbay are working on the performances.

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