In the array of summer events in Puglia, a new original exhibition project called CANTIERE is set to open on August 5th in Ostuni. This original exhibit will be available until August 20th.
A visual artist who expresses himself through embroidery, a pair of architects with a passion for art and a fashion photographer who has dreamt of being an architect since he was a child.
A fascinating blend of art, architecture, and photography has given rise to the exhibition called "Cantiere." The event is being held in the deserted areas of a former oil mill from the 1930s, situated in the White City. It showcases the artistic works of Angelo Filomeno, Aldo Flore & Rosanna Venezia, and Giampaolo Sgura.
Photo ©Claudio Palma
An exhibition experience founded on a ‘representation of the gesture’, portrayed using diverse worlds that feed off one another.
A once forgotten and ruined space thus becomes a path of wonders to cross and discover, a place where one can freely lose oneself. “Cantiere” hints at the evolution of the creative process, the genesis of an idea that pervades throughout the different creative stages. So, the smoke of a cigarette or the sudden smile of a woman are captured by Sgura’s lens. Filomeno’s embroidered canvases are aesthetic simulacra of overlapping moments and the architects’ sketches represent the project, before the more ordinary concerns of calculation and technique.
Before recovering the former olive mill, the architects Flore & Venezia architects felt the need to create something that would express a new energy and beauty. Continuing their reflection on the semantic strength of places in dialogue with contemporary art and far from self-celebration, they Invited Sgura and Filomeno to apply their talents and give a new meaning to the space. In the exhibition, the architects exclusively show their pencil design drawings, the beating heart of their profession, a true hallmark of their architecture. A true tableau of coloured backgrounds and quick brush strokes that not only bares the soul of the project, but also centres the special relationship that exists with the client. Angelo Filomeno’s work brings to the exhibition, not only a material, but also a dreamlike dimension to the exhibits. Iridescent and precious threads mark the planes of his compositions, often with impossible architecture and landscapes. His sculptural work, like his embroidered canvases, spring forth from a hermetic iconography. A large, suspended helmet triumphs in the darkness of the space, while standing guard with grace and charm. Feathers, Swarovski and metallic reflections interpret Dürer’s allegorical engravings in this piece of Puglia. A moment of profound estrangement. His is not virtuosity, but introspection. In his recent work the fabric becomes canvas, the embroidery defines precise lines through a radically aesthetic and emotional work. The same personal truth can also be found in Giampaolo Sgura’s photographic work. Large photographs lowered between the walls and bays open towards the sky, men and women in the foreground invade the space. They are depicted with a grimace, a smile, or a new gesture. Celebrated faces of fashion are thus transformed into an intimate installation, placing the observer at a comfortable distance from everyone’s gaze. Sgura’s depiction of beauty is irresistible. It is natural but also unsettling. His subjects are bathed in a soft light that frames the seductive moment between photographer and model, that unrepeatable moment that depicts the beginning of the story and of the dream. Different but complementary works of art, linked together by a common propensity, inhabit the exhibition’s suspended space. Between past and present. Between sea and sky. CANTIERE
05 - 20/08 H 19.00/23.00
Via Peppino Orlando
Ostuni, Italy
@artecantiere
Artists' biography
Flore & Venezia architects
Aldo Flore was born in Ostuni, Rosanna Venezia in Matera. They live and work in Puglia. Sustainability, genius loci (the spirit of a place) and natural materials are the foundation of every single project undertaken by the Flore and Venezia architectural studio.
For 25 years Aldo and Rosanna have deepened the (local) architectural themes in an ever-changing way. Evolving design choices are made for every masseria, historic building, trullo and collective space project. Every house, hotel, masseria has the same thread running through it. A thread signifying a respect for the past while tied together to the stories, legends, stones, iron and limestone thanks to local workers and craftsmen. Every project therefore becomes a sensory experience. Materials, colours, shapes and sounds all contribute to the creation of a magical atmosphere that guarantees a feeling of well-being and helps us to live well.
Authors of “Il Tempo della Pietra” (The Time of Stone) ‘The Restoration of Trulli – conservation and preservation.’ Adda Editore ISBN-10: 8880829920. There are many national and international publications dedicated to the projects of Flore and Venezia’s studio, as well as participation in international conferences from Israel to Japan.
Rosanna Venezia e Aldo Flore, Photo ©Claudio Palma
Angelo Filomeno
Angelo Filomeno was born in Ostuni. Lives and works in New York. His personally embroidered artwork is a metaphor for both personal situations and memories. His work speaks of loneliness, superstition, death and fear.
An iconography, sometimes macabre, is transposed into a realm of elegance and refinement using the incredible beauty of embroidery. He takes references, not only from the art of Northern Europe (Grünewald, Dürer e Bosch), but also from Japanese mythology and tribal African masks. His work has been featured in important international exhibitions such as the 52nd Venice Biennale (2007); ARS 06 at the Kiasma Museum of Modern Art in Helsinki; Re:collection, at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York; Threaded, at the Center for the Arts in Virginia.
Angelo Filomeno’s work can be found in prestigious public collections such as: The George Pompidou in Paris; The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa; The 21st Century Museum in Louisville and the Museum of Modern Art and Design in New York. He has also had solo exhibitions in international museums, Including the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, Georgia. First Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, Tennessee and the Italian Cultural Institute in New York and Toronto.
Angelo Filomeno, Photo ©Claudio Palma
Giampaolo Sgura
Giampaolo Sgura was born in Fasano and works between Milan, New York, Paris and Puglia. He is one of the most sought-after fashion photographers, for nearly two decades he has chronicled the trends of the fashion industry, photographed major celebrities and captured society’s prevailing winds. “My photos don’t need too much information. It is more interesting when the viewer uses their imagination and assigns their own story to the image”.
His photographs include Italian cinematic references such as Federico Fellini, Vittorio De Sica and neorealism. Gestures and storytelling give life to all his images, using a fascinating personal language. He has always rejected constraints in favour of a raw emotional response while proudly declaring that he wants to be commercial and refusing to take a too lofty view of his profession.
His photos regularly feature in Vogue Paris, Vogue Japan, Vogue Germany, Vogue Spain, Vogue Brazil, Vogue Russia, Teen Vogue, Allure, Carnale, Harena Homme Plus, GQ China, GQ Spain, Intervista Germania and Candy Magazine. He has also produced advertising images for Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino, Dsquared2, Benetton and Roberto Cavalli. Giampaolo Sgura, Photo ©Claudio Palma
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Cover photo ©Claudio Palma
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