Marcello Dantas on Keil Space: a love story between time and light

Keil Space

In this interview, the renowned curator reflects on the ability of Keil Space to create a profound and immersive experience where art meets soul.

From Florence to the global art scene, Keil Space continues to impress international critics as a unique model of artistic exploration and engagement. Recently, Marcello Dantas, curator with over 35 years of experience, visited Keil Space and gave an interview available on Keil Space’s YouTube channel.

Marcello Dantas: A Visionary at the Intersection of Art and Technology 

Considered a visionary at the intersection of art and technology, Dantas is celebrated for his innovative work as a curator, designer and producer. In his 30-year career, he has worked on 18 museums, over 300 exhibitions in various countries around the world, produced award-winning documentaries, and become a driving force in the creation of immersive cultural experiences.

Keil Space: the roots of the project

The first space in the 21st century entirely dedicated to Advanced Art, Keil Space is an ‘artistic territory’ where we are introduced to the work of the British master of bronze Sam Keil. Born in 1965 in the UK, and raised among art and a history-rich environment, Keil displays a deep intellectual curiosity ranging from philosophy to quantum mechanics, disciplines that influence her work, where dynamic principles and structural innovation reflect her commitment to understanding and recreating the complexity of the world. 

This new project is based on ancient roots and stands as a testimony to innovation and a bridge to a history-rich past. Keil’s family has a story of craftsmen and antiquarians connected to the British Crown, whose influence has shaped the art world for generations.

The Keil Foundation, created in London by Henry William Keil in 1932, continues today, at the hands of Sam Keil, to inspire the art world with this new visionary project in Florence.

Keil Experience: the observer as protagonist

Keil Space

The experience design and concept development is the result of a partnership between Sam Keil & Mohamed Ogbi, co-founder of Keil Space. With a background of over ten years in entrepreneurship and art, and more than 70 projects worldwide, Ogbi specializes in artistic equity development, collector relationship management and international expansion strategies. 

Stepping through the doors of this futuristic space, the observers are welcomed into an immersive environment where they interact individually with the First, Second and New Generation collections. Keil Space represents an artistic platform designed to open and strengthen artistic dialogue: the observers become the protagonists of the experience, interacting with the works in a dedicated time and space, in a safe environment where they can contemplate their own thoughts or share them openly.

Through the application of advanced artistic, scientific and technological techniques, Keil Space invites visitors to discover the connections between body, mind and soul, in a dimension where introspection facilitates a sense of peace and relaxation.

Keil Space Firenze

More than 500 visitors individually crossed the threshold of Keil Space, each enriching the space with new perspectives and interpretations. As shown by the qualitative research conducted by the analysis company QDAS, based on the words of hundreds of observers, the space encourages increased attention and psychophysical well-being. The 500 square metre underground area offers an alternative way of communicating with art, allowing people to perceive it in a more intimate and less commercialised way.

Keil Space’s mission is to open up artistic dialogue and redefine how art interacts with the human experience, offering a deeply personal journey for visitors.

The interview with Dantas

What do you think of Keil Space?

I’ve spent decades designing museums and curating exhibitions worldwide. Coming to Keil Space was an entirely new experience. I am surprised by it. What struck me most was its unique narrative, a love story between time and light. It’s as if these two elements are inextricably bound, where light defines time and vice versa. One needs the others like oxygen and fire. Whenever the vacuum comes the light disappears. Whenever the oxygen comes the light appears, and time starts to exist. Time is a condition of fire and fire is the origin of light.

The space is about not being a space; it is about seizing the existing space. So you’re not connected with any distraction, you are here to live the experiences. The space is about creating a neutrality which allows light to express itself.

I did notice the very characteristic smell that started imprinting a mood just before you enter as you open the door. And I am very sensitive to olfactory arts. And I think this is one of the most powerful territories that we go to enter one person’s instinct, bypassing reason and reaching straight to the soul.  

In today’s fast-paced world, where attention spans are fleeting, venues like Keil Space are rare. They invite you to slow down, reflect and connect with the art in a meaningful way. Art, in my view, changes one head at a time, and Keil Space honors this principle.” 

As mentioned by you, today’s attention span is drastically reduced and harmful to the ability to fully experience art. How do you think Keil Space tackled this issue, in designing the observer experience?

Nowadays, instead of experiencing art, priority is given to socialising around art. At Keil Space, on the other hand, the proposed artworks can be experienced one person at a time. By creating a detachment from the city environment, other people and distractions, the relationship with art changes: socialisation around the works is replaced by an embodiment of art.

The experience design done here is meticulous; the concept crafts an environment where every detail works in harmony and allows observers to fully immerse themselves in its transformative power. Here, you can experience art with the attention and time required. Moreover, I appreciate the size of the place, which allows one to formulate a sentence or an equation but, at the same time, is not so overpowering that you have too many words to use, allowing one to experience one’s own dimension.

What did you perceive of the First Generation Bronze?

The First Generation Bronze conveys a sense of mystery. Some objects remain hidden, giving space to intrigue and impossibility. The central piece, “The Lovers”, is a masterpiece in every sense. It encapsulates the myth of ‘Mutufagi’ – maybe the ultimate idea of love – an endless cycle of giving and taking that mirrors the essence of love.  

The surface of the bronzes, marked by wounds and textures, evokes the aftermath of love – its scars and its permanence. Time does not heal these wounds; rather, it transforms them. This perpetual state of healing and scarring creates a vivid metaphor for the human condition. When I entered the room and saw the pulsating textures, I felt as though I was witnessing love’s eternal and ever-changing imprint.” 

What did you perceive of the Second Generation Bronze?

“The transition from the First to the Second Generation Bronze is striking. There is a clear change in language. While the earlier works feel rooted in the origins of sculpture, the Second Generation “Sabre” adopted a more modernist and geometrical language. This sculpture plays with perception: from one angle, it appears as a singular object; from another, it unfolds into multiple layers. This duality—between the singular and the multiple—feels profoundly human. People are one individual with multiple layers.

Not one thing is defined by its surface, so it’s multiplicity. We are all complex beings, made up of contradictory layers. The Second Generation captures this beautifully, using light to obscure or reveal facets of the sculptures. Moreover, it’s not just about the object itself but the interaction of the object with its environment.” 

What did you perceive of the New Generation Bronze?

I was impressed to see the color spectrum present itself in an innovative way. The interplay of light transforms the surface into gateway – portals into alternate realms. I found myself questioning what I was seeing. What am I looking at? Was it geological time? Organic material? Rock art? Is this a cave? I thought that this is something that could have existed somewhere and then I had to give myself an open possibility of what it could be. Could it be a painting? It could but it couldn’t because a brush cannot do that.

It is human made, but at the same time it is subject to the changes of the nature of materials. Those drawings were not made by humans but they do exist because nature can draw. I found this very nice; the artwork gives access to another world that you cannot experience directly unless you use a device to connect you to that dimension. Therefore, the New Generation Bronze is a gateway, a portal to another dimension. 

A message for Sam Keil?

“Curiosity is my driving force, and Keil Space feeds that curiosity in ways I didn’t anticipate. Sam Keil has achieved something rare: she has created a space where art matures like a tree, taking time to bear fruit. Art’s relevance is tied to its ability to change, decay, and transform. Keil Space embodies this principle. To achieve things one key ingredient is time.

Art’s relevance is tied to its ability to change, decay, and transform. Presenting her works in such a way is a privilege. Most artists lose control over their works and of the situations in which their works are presented, but here time itself is a collaborator. Keil Space celebrates this transformation, just like it’s beautiful to age.”

Article by Francesco Diperno

For further information, please visit keilspace.com

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