Articles
Magasin ?
AAbout
Track404
El Trampolín
A few days ago I connected with Miguel Ángel (@_miichelangelo); a young multidisciplinar artist based in Barcelona.
He himself describes his works as transmutation of ideas or feelings; from an invisible plane, to a tangible one.
He has been experimenting with sculptures and materials and has recently developed this collection of sculptures called:
El Trampolín.
Just by seeing them you can already feel it: the jump to the void, the limbo between the intention and the actual action.
The vertigo of the unknown, the angst before stepping forward; the jump into what’s going to come next.
MiguelÁngel: “ The trampoline, functioning as a symbol, represents not only the individual leap into the unknown, but also a possible gateway to hidden places. I like the idea that each person can experience the risk, the hesitation, and the thrill of the jump — in this way, the piece talks to each viewer and makes them remember their own experiences and past feelings.
In this sense, The Trampoline is not only a personal exploration, but also a participatory proposal that can adapt to different contexts, engaging those who observe.”
Metal is a conscious choice here — it's a really expressive material, changes dramatically of form depending on a few conditions. Almost like it had life. But a trait that I specially wanted to highlight it’s its sensitivity to aging. Over time, you can witness its metamorphosis.
I see that transformation as a statement within these trampolines - in the moment, all you could feel was the unknown void you were about to leap into.
But now, looking back, you can clearly see the rusted trampoline and stare at it with nostalgia.
And also, this is a heavy and delse material on itself - just by hanging there it’s defying gravity every second; playing with that unknown early future.
MiguelÁngel: “Working on the trampolines at such a reduced scale has also given me a sense of freedom — as if I were entering a Lilliputian world. Their tiny size and placement don’t just create a disturbing spatial sensation; they also suggest the presence of a shady figurative presence.
I don’t ask myself where the people are, or where the pool or the water surrounding the trampolines might be. Instead, I wonder how a trampoline can bear so much uselessness — how architecture can live with such a loss of meaning.
The solidity of the trampoline against the bare wall feels like the material remnant of a strange and overwhelming fantasy: a trampoline without people or swimmers, and a trampoline with no pool to dive into. I could say that its solidity highlights the absence.
There are stairs, and of course, one wants to reach the top to consider the likely jump — and it can be done in different ways. Of course, they are trampolines, but evidently, they are not. First, because they are sculptures; and second, because even as such, they are responses — simple allusions to humanity, not plausible imitations of the human condition.”