molto avanguardie!

Exhibition Review :: Milano (IT)
Galleria Gio’ Macroni
Franz Ackermann “From Eden to Lima”

Galleria Gio’ Macroni, where I had my first interview in Italy for a real job after graduation, consists of a very well-designed modern building with two floors and lots of professional gallery space. The dominate colors of this gallery are yellow and white, and boasts of a good use of exhibition space, as well as excellent lighting. At this stellar contemporary art gallery owned by a famous father-son duo, there is A/C (almost unheard of in Italy, still!) and a large, very professional staff to help out with the necessary gallery functions. It was evident, when browsing the gallery after my interview, that this was the type of environment I wanted to work in.


Unlike most of the galleries I frequented this summer, there were two shows going on simultaneously at Galleria Gio’ Macroni. The one that took place downstairs displayed what seemed to be the chaos caused by typhoons and hurricanes in some South American country (Peru?). This exhibition, which took place in three galleries, consisted of big and small paintings (think abstract/morphed land and cityscapes), mostly painted with bold and daring neon colors, clutter of the actual damage caused by these natural disasters (think damaged palm trees scattered on the ground and a broken, deserted boat) and photographs (both color and b & w, mounted on a pedestal as a collage or in a horizontal line on the wall) of people, places, landscapes, street signs, religious icons, nightlife and scenes of everyday life. In addition, there were also pictures of rundown buildings, new and very contemporary urban developments, beaches, highways, airports and street art. The point to be proven seemed to be simply this: Material things and the geniuses of mankind are here today, gone tomorrow, for one can never predict what will happen tomorrow.

One of the most creative ways of combining mediums was a funky shaped, neon colored painting that was plastered to the wall. The painting itself plays out to be a conceptual image of twisted, circular branches floating into the trunk of the tree; the top part of the painting, which seems to represent a huge wave (duo-toned blue), has a peep-hole one can peer into and see, inside the wall, a (silent) video of people and monsters protesting, walking around a stadium, carrying flags, and cheering. There was also a float going around the stadium, with people dressed like Captain Hook in yellow and white costumes. This parade seemed to take place in Brazil, due to all the Brazilian flags and such. Could it be that these creatures, emerged out of the video and were the ones responsible for the damage? Could this be their celebration of victory?

But hey, remember that this IS contemporary art… which can be just about anything anyone feels like creating, RIGHT?!


As a whole, this exhibit was creatively imputed and in your face, chaotic yet boldly honest. Even though it was (as the British put it) “a right mess”, it emphasized what once was and what will never be again. This was an exhibit that you could feel with all that was within you, as you stand in the middle of sheer chaos. It forces one to stop and ponder on what is truly valuable in life, and which things are worth holding onto. It also questions the worth of art as something incredibly temporary, and asks why we put so much time, money and creative energy on things that could easily be wiped away within the blink of an eye.

WE <3 JOYS

Exhibition Review :: Milano (IT)
Allegra Ravizza :: ART PROJECT
JOYS; Personale




On virtually every other building in Milan, there is some sort of graffiti scrawled on it - some well-scripted and visually appealing; others, not so much. Some consider it an art form while others call it an act of vandalism. Many argue that its the only way to keep a culture alive, to communicate important messages to the masses. Graffiti may be unconventional and unsolicited, but it does not disqualify it from being a kind of art, a kind of expression. Graffiti in every major citiy of the world is similiar, yet also different; each culture develops its own creativity and skills.


I first came across Allegra Ravizza Art Project during the opening night of their exhibition, entitled JOYS (the pen name of artist Cristian Bovo, Padova, 1974), on 24 May 2007. Due to the amount of people and the delicious bellinis served that night, it wasn't until weeks later that I went back to get a closer look at the art of this JOYS fellow.


My first reaction to the work of JOYS was how different his work was from the works I've seen at other gallery openings of the same genre (meaning, Contemporary Art). It was so refreshing to stand before art that thinks outside the box. To me, this man has taken (Italian) penmanship to the next level, where the forms remain attached together yet one is still able to make out what these letters are supposed to represent. His sculpture represents an eclectic but cool three-dimensional approach to graffiti, better known as "art on the wall" (in the case of this exhibition, since it is mounted on the walls). Bold colors of red, yellow, blue and purple grabbed my attention. These sculptures were far beyond what the human mind could comprehend, and although I did not immediately identify the works as "script", I did feel that they could jump off the wall at any given time. I felt that his works have overcome the confines of two-dimensional space and because each letter was so precise, geometrical and so perfect, knew that he must have been influenced by mathematics and probably the works of M.C. Escher.


I can see JOYS' sculptures being used as a means of not only communicating the need to be creative and the survival of a culture, but profound words and phrases with the ability to spread a message across, be it something political, cultural, social or religious. Art that has a purpose, which also has a presence, is much needed in our seemingly nihilistic urban environments.

Colorful pipes, anyone?

Arte Italiana @t its Finest

On Thursday, 13 July 2007, approximately 500+ people raced through the doors of Milan’s Palazzo Reale for the opening of its latest exhibition: Arte Italiana, 1968-2007. On display until mid-November, these paintings, under the ideas of Vittorio Sgarbi and curated by Maurizio Sciaccaluga, re-unites la crème de la crème of what modern/contemporary Italian painting has been known to express in the last half of this century, from 1968 until the more recent experiences.


Some artists represented in this exhibition were the following: Domenico Gnoll, Renato Guttuso, Piero Guccione, Valerio Adami, Gianfranco Ferroni, as well as artists who are not so well-known, such as Adelchi Mantovani, Gustavo Foppiani, Lorenzo Tornabuoni and Giancarlo Vitali. Cultural and aesthetic watersheds are not only political, as 1968 represents the symbol of the landslide of ideologies. It also represents unanimated ideas shared between the beauty found in art and the outpouring of the spirit expressed to the viewers. There was also a side exhibition of Italian architect mastermind Gio Ponti, who designed a myriad of stylish yet functional furniture and urban buildings. Many of his works still stand in Milan today.


Since I did not possess an invitation (and I couldn’t jump in line with somebody else since everyone came as a couple), I had to wait over two hours to see this exhibition. It was a madhouse, to say the least. Everyone was pushing and shoving, cutting in line and yelling just to have first dibs on viewing the exhibition. The three security guards, 2 at the door, one responsible for checking everyone’s invitation (and yes, there were a few frauds!) kept saying: “Piano, piano, piano”, urging everyone to slow down and stop the madness!

Once inside, there was no direct flow, which made it hard for people to make their way around to these exhibits. It was obvious that the Italian Paintings galleries were arranged chronologically while Gio Ponti’s exhibition was arranged by medium (furniture, decorative items, photographic collages/newspaper clippings/press releases/letters, etc.). There were only short paragraphs on the wall, describing the time period and influences of these painters, as well as photographs of Gio Ponti’s architectural successes from all over the world.

Being that this opening took place in one of the greatest fashion centers of the world, it was also interesting to note the kind of people that attended this event and what they wore. The majority of the populations were, of course, middle-aged Caucasian Italians who were extremely well-dressed (as if they were going to the opera or a fancy dinner) in the season’s latest fashions. The ballpark average age was older, probably around 40. A few families came with their children, and judging from the fact that most of these kids had their own cell phone, plus name brand clothing, indicated that this “leisure” event was definitely for the upper-middle class and beyond. A few exceptions included a small group of university art students and young professionals – also mostly Caucasian Italians, sporting the latest trends. As a result of their high status in society and level of education, there were many interesting and in depth conversations going on regarding art criticism and theory as well. Needless to say, Europeans are TONS more educated about the arts than Americans ever will be.

All in all, despite the lack of vino and other antipasti delights every show opening ought to have (especially in Italy), it was a worthwhile experience that I was happy to have experienced. Next time, I will try to join the VIP list. ☺