Latest Downtown Redwood City Art Kiosk installation features Matthew Floriani

As a practicing muralist for more than five years, presenting a painting of his within the confines of the Art Kiosk space was initially a challenge, but became a way for his artistry to tap into something new.

There is an elusive experience of stained glass created by the thick-lined framing of the windows and the way artificial and daylight penetrate the bright coloring. At night, the kiosk itself appears to be a part of the installation, becoming a bright lantern lit up from the inside.

“I’m a muralist at heart and most of my work ends up being in these larger spaces in the public,” Floriani said. “I really like the idea of not having to go through essentially a doorway in order to view the work. I like the fact that it’s a public entity.”

The interaction between the public and art is an important value of Floriani and appreciates that the Art Kiosk is accessible for viewing to anyone walking by. He finds this installation to be particularly interesting because it has not been common for two dimensional work to go into the Art Kiosk space.

“I want there to be this disconnect between it being two separate entities,” Floriani said. “To create something that’s more two dimensional creates an illusion that the space itself is a mural or its stained glass window effect.”

The contorted figures are demanding in their colorful and joyous vibrancy, a reflection of the “colorful diverse individuals who inhabit our communities” Floriani said.

Since Floriani moved to Oakland in 2015, he said the community has shifted, resulting in an unfortunate disconnection from one another.

Though the figures are colorful, there’s a sense of confinement reflected as they’re found stuck in odd poses, from top to bottom, edge to edge of their canvases.

“There’s supposed to be a really anxious, uncomfortable component to each one of these figures as they’re moving into each other’s worlds,” Floriani said. “This was supposed to be an interpretation of connection within our isolated, introverted spaces.”

The figures are void of any racial or gender definitions, and done so intently, Floriani said, because he believes it’s not important to his artistic narrative. He wanted the work to raise the issue of connectivity across all identities.

“We’re separate and we’re different, but we’re connected,” Floriani said. “That’s why the colors of the figures not only change within their own world but change as they transition into these other spaces.”

The exhibition will be on display until June 2, at Courthouse Square. “Kaleidoscope” was commissioned by Fung Collaborative Projects in collaboration with Redwood City Improvement Association for the Redwood City Art Kiosk.