SILENT MODE
Noise is a permanent state, a constant stream of Chaos. Silent Mode is a momentary state, an nourishing state. The chaos of noise will always drag you back into it.
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ART DIRECTION: One project that reflects this approach is Mode / Silence, where I led the creative direction of a floral shoot in Barcelona in collaboration with Flowers by BORNAY. The project explored the contrast between stillness and noise through a minimal and conceptual visual language, using botanical elements as a metaphor for transformation and perception. I directed the shoot within the flower studio, shaping both the visual narrative and the atmosphere, balancing serenity and tension through composition, materiality, and tone. This experience strengthened my interest in working with natural elements, abstraction, and storytelling across disciplines.
NAMING: This binomial conjunction comes linked and self-explained. The word “MODE” comes from a transitory and transformative state. And “SILENCE” arises from something that doesn’t emit sound or isn’t urrounded by noise. We believe this set of terms enables any artifact or entity capable of shifting, be capable of entering into a silence mode, thereby allowing infinite possibilities to reduce multiple factors of the chaos river. As a result, this causes multiple transformations along our reality.
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STYLE: The style we’ve adopted was born from a straight forward realization: we aimed to convey the coexistence of silent stillness and the flowing stream of noise on a clean and conceptual level. The stark contrast between the forceful presence of noise and the delicate yet crucial nature of silence serves as a metaphor for the hero’s journey. It’s the discrepancy in this flow that enables us to reach new heights, thanks to the progress — potentially personal — within our state of silence. We believed that an abstract, minimalistic approach could vividly depict these conflicting states, offering a clearer representation of our intended concept.
GENRE: As commonplace as it seems for noise to be a constant presence in our lives, there must exist a potential for improvement. Consumerism and banal distractions have rendered us unaware of our true desires and aspirations, the need for a well-preserved state of being. That’s why we have chosen an analytical approach to understanding this phenomenon. Through a critique utilizing metaphors and modernism, coupled with the botanical aspect of working with Flowers by Bornay, we are presented with the perfect scenario where everything falls into place, if we can suppress the noise correctly.
TONE: Serenity + Cold / Warm + Abrasive + Invasive + Overwhelming + Nourishing + Oxymoronic + Contrastive + Ideal.
SPACE/TIME: Anachronistic + Western Society.
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The volume, size, and shape of the piece were crucial in intending to depict the chaotic nature of sound. We aimed for all these elements to be taken as an interpretation of a sound wave. With these elements, we were able to represent the length, amplitude, and frequency of the wave by shaping and layering materials. The chaotic nature also prevented formality from accommodating the interpretation of the river of disorder. Additionally, one can distinguish between the perfect circle of the silent bubble and the unplanned sonic nature of the bases.
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In the planning phase, only three of them were initially intended: the Spanish Moss, Green Moss, and Protea Nutans. However, with Fàtima’s guidance and the addition of the remaining plants on the list, much more volume, strength, contrast and chaos were added to what was the river of chaos. Although all of them were part of a set, it’s worth mentioning that the initial three are protagonists in the different sequences of the narrative. Especially noteworthy was the green moss as the garden of silence in the isolation action, with no notable growth but capable of establishing a scenario in which anything could nourish. Also was notable in the third act the Protea Nutans, already bloomed and in all its splendor. After being isolated, it is inevitably absorbed into the noise. It might get engulfed in chaos at some point, but it entered much stronger than it left due to the growth made at the silent mode.
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This first act aims to capture and ensnare the viewer in this incomprehensible chaos caused by disorder, contrast, the lack of clarity, and the textural inequality of all the self-absorbed elements. The tiny pockets of air found between the organic elements and the gray net intend to represent the spaces available to escape from this chaotic flow. However, they also symbolize the valleys where the attracted gardens are captured. Additionally, one can observe the varying altitudes reached by some plants, serving as symbols of louder and more remarkable sound waves.
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The second piece isolates us from the rest of the structure. The depth of field allows us to understand that there is something distant, something vast, and also chaotic. Another important element is the white space and the distance from this well-tended garden to the looming monstrosity in the background, always lurking. The texture of the glass, especially that of the droplets, makes a subtle reference to the previously mentioned bubble comparison. Moreover, the refraction seen through the oval glass suggests that there might be something concrete within the chaos, but it is imperceptible when looked at from within it. Distance is needed to comprehend this phenomenon.
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Finally, we can see the most interactive part of the entire piece. In this interplay, we can appreciate the claws of chaos engulfing something already in bloom. Moreover, it can be observed that there may exist multiple gardens just as there can be different divergences of chaos. The most bustling features of this narrative act are the clarity of the action conveyed by the materials, especially by the chaotic river, the metal mesh, and the moss net.
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SOUND: We opted to illustrate our project with graphics inspired by the language of music. Specifically, we employed a font where each letter generates circles, symbolizing distinct sounds. The use of shapes and geometries evoked the notions of sound and silence, immersing the audience fully in our creative endeavor.
NOISE: We chose to depict noise by introducing a disruption into the images reminiscent of the concept of noise.
STYLE: We embraced a minimalist, contemporary, and essential design approach, preserving our project’s color palette and employing a sleek, linear font to achieve this aesthetic.
COVER: We aimed to engage the reader by providing an interactive experience with our book. To achieve this, we designed a cover featuring apertures that symbolize our “silent mode” concept. Additionally, the use of plastic packaging underscores the themes of isolation and alienation within our project. The inspiration for our cover design drew from Paolo Scheggi’s 1966 artwork, “Intersuperficie curva dal bianco”