As the curatorial assistant at the art department of the HypoVereinsbank art collection, I was entrusted with creating an exhibition concept. This concept, featuring works by young, up-and-coming artists, was carefully crafted to align with the bank's overarching goal of becoming the first "paperless bank" in Europe. This alignment reassures that the bank's efforts to act more sustainably and socially responsibly are being upheld.

After intensive research and evaluation of different artists, I decided on a work by Clara Graziolino. Her installation "Silencio│Archivo│2" forms a critical and partly ironic contrast to the "paperless bank." As the paper falls like snow from the cube ceiling, it signals material abundance and thus reflects the consumption of natural resources.

My curatorial aim for this exhibition is to draw bank customers' attention to their consumption. The individual handmade leaves are made from abacà fibres, which are used to make tea bags, cigarette paper, and industrial filters, among other things. Thus, the individual falling leaves represent the consumption of limited plant resources and waste production.

At the same time, the work serves as a counterpoint to industrial mass production, highlighting the uniqueness and quality of handicraft work. Each leaf, carefully scooped by hand, signifies a more sustainable and conscious use of high-quality materials, fostering a sense of responsibility and awareness in the viewers.

Encouraging viewers to look at their consumption and wear and tear simultaneously opens the possibility of cathartic contemplation. My aim is not to create a guilty conscience in the viewers but to reawaken a sense of appreciation for the uniqueness and finiteness of natural resources.

The bank, as the site of installation, assumes the role of a guardian of nature and its rarity. This perspective also places the bank itself in a reflective light, critically examining its position in society and its role in the sustainable use of nature. It prompts the audience to question whether the safeguarding and investment of values are truly such if they do not protect the most fragile and essential thing that is vital for us humans: nature.

The closed glass cube "K4," as an inaccessible, silent space, is thematically connected to the installation and intensifies the effect of the "conscious space." The cube is thus staged as part of the artwork and encourages viewers to lose themselves in the materiality of the installation.

The artwork "Silencio│Archivo│2" by Clara Graziolino (*1975, Turin, IT) is a spatial installation made of individual, handmade sheets of Abacá paper. The glass art cube in the Flagship branch of HypoVereinsbank in Munich subtly emphasises the power and fragility of the artwork. The delicate handmade leaves are strung on transparent nylon threads attached to the lattice ceiling of the cube and let down into the room like strings of pearls. This creates the impression that the leaves are held in place when they "fall to the ground" - as if time were standing still. The result is a timeless space in a state of suspension, which sensitises the viewer to a moment of pause and conscious appreciation of natural resources.

The duo Diecinove + Claudio Spizzo composed music to accompany Graziolino's work. The piece can be listened to via smartphone, accessible through a QR code on the outside of the cube. The piece emphasises the meditative element of tranquillity, in which the seemingly falling leaves appear to have stopped in time. The duet of visual and auditory experience in the KunstCUBE of HypoVereinsbank invites viewers to indulge in silence and contemplation.

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"I am inspired by objects that surround me in everyday life. I imitate, study, repeat and multiply them using clay to transform everyday life into poetry. I love to start with a simple ordinary form and transform it into a precious work of art through the ceramic process."

the University of Turin and a diploma from the Art and Restoration Institute of Florence, she moved to Madrid to deepen her knowledge in sculpture. She developed her vision and personal approach to contemporary ceramics at ECM Ceramics School. Clara's artistic research is based on the study of humble everyday objects and materials, which are reinterpreted in the form of ceramics or other materials after an initial phase of experimentation through installation and performance. Through manual elaboration and traditional craft techniques, Clara creates an intimate and poetic vocabulary in search of a simple, quiet dimension. In addition to her collaborations with art galleries and museums, Clara has worked with renowned interior designers in Europe and the US, creating bespoke artworks for numerous projects in New York, London, Milan and Moscow. Clara Graziolino lives and works in Madrid and Turin.

"As in the wabi sabi philosophy, I am fascinated by the textures of matter, the signs of time, fissures and imperfection." - Clara Graziolino