During the first period of June I went to London, where the big Serpentine Gallery Exhibition was hosted by the studio. I did not have the responsibility of curating the gallery together with my mentor Thom, although I had the pleasure to witness how well everything fitted together.
The shipping phase that had happened a few days before traveling to London helped me understand the importance of logistics, especially in being methodological so that the pieces, well arrived could be easily reassembled once again. I felt especially proud of the art pieces I helped in designing and had been more or less in charge of with help of my mentor’s support- they were now a piece of The Web(s) of Life, which is the Studio Exhibition name.
The journey was intense and it meant meeting my colleges in another light, being able to discuss informal as well as formal topics with them. More or less getting to know them better. This is something I would have wanted to see within the studio culture from the beginning – to be able to connect during lunch or after work. Also seeing how this exhibition was meant to politically influence with its underlying messages, on the far larger scale than just the rooms of the Serpentine Gallery.
After this journey, coming back to the computer to document my work, gave me another chance to reflect on what I actually had done during these intense months. Also seeing the studio in a completely different tempo helped me processing information and reaching out more to my architectural colleagues. I realised whilst doing this how much I have learnt in terms of communicating, and also working more effective. To not be afraid of potential errors, but to reach out more and gain information about what I would need to do in order to finish a task.
I felt that this last week has been somehow to tie all the experiences I have had with the studio together. Also, realising my role within the team, which apparently giving a great motivation and team spirit to the architecture team of the studio. This is something I will take with me as an entrepreneur: To communicate more effectively, be less afraid of potential flaws in my work and keep motivating future colleges around me.
Indeed it is important to find the joy in your professional role, as well as taking on tasks with a serious manner. Looking back on all the tasks I did do within the Serpentine Gallery Exhibition (which I now also will exhibit in my portfolio), I am proud to have been given the great amount of trust from the Studio, which was needed for me to do the tasks. Again, this attitude of trial and error is something I will take with me. The world is not ending because something does not fit. The question might more be about whether or whether not you have the time to make it fit.
My experience at Studio Tomás Saraceno was and was not how I would imagine it from the start. I actually had more responsibility and more connection with myself and my work in the studio than I first would have expected. Also I did expect to help with a large sculpture, instead I was doing a great few pieces of sculptures within the Gallery, working closer to its individual pieces – solving either technical or artistic problems, making them either more interesting or able to stand up etc.
I feel that my mentor within the studio could embrace my strengths and my weaknesses and assign me the tasks ultimately after this. Some more and some less challenging. But to be clear, there is more to one art-piece than design. There is a whole wheel of logistics, production management, material selections and target group to continuously check in with. I have received a taste of this arts and crafts world and I for sure feel there is more to learn here, but again I have realised this is a journey to be a young entrepreneur, with trials and errors. I am also sure I will start my own company one day, influenced by Saraceno.
I would recommend this experience to a young entrepeneur, although I would say this experience would need to be a bit longer than four months. Six months I would say to be a good amount of time to truly get in to the culture of the studio and understand your role in it.
