Giovanni Nicolini's Ex and Per
In this exhibit, Giovanni Nicolini presents a conceptual undertaking: a sort of self-portrait in which the paths of very consistent artistic research conducted mostly abroad are transformed into a new work, in a game of mirrors that becomes a reflection of the author's personality.
We are the sum of our experiences. And it is not a coincidence that the word "experience," as Serres noted, derives from the meeting of two linguistic parts: "ex," which indicates detachment and separation (first of all from conformist banality, from the obvious), and "per," which indicates a
crossing and a journey.
Giovanni Nicolini has always looked for an "ex" and a "per" in his works. We can clearly recognize
this in the works of art displayed here, part of an exhibition held at the Canton Academy. They are conceptual journeys through nature, through the landscapes of the mind where the elements are not seen, but reinvented by our thoughts.
They are ideas, perhaps apparitions. The fact that the lands are uninhabited does not mean they are intended as inhospitable. If anything, they express the desire to return to the origins. The same desire that characterizes the artist's work (events, installations, videos, publications) which always arises from a restless questioning, intolerant of prefabricated answers.
"We therefore face the landscapes of what is possible, originating from a lingering uncertainty regarding reality that which sometimes takes on a slightly fairy-tale flavor. As if it were poised between philosophy and wonder," says Elena Pontiggia.
The exhibit features a selection of the artist's works created between 1985 and today, divided into six sequences. Some depict experiences shared with workers in the workplace, in particular in factories in Modena (1985) and Lodz, Poland (1990), where the factory space also hosted a mural by Sol Lewitt.
The exhibit will be open from 15 January to 9 March, Mondays through Fridays from 9am to 12pm. It has been organized by ISU BOCCONI and admission is free.