Artery
Installation – February 2021.
Fibreglass, wire, coffee powder, corn seeds, glass jar, printed clear acetates sheets, fishing pot (metal net).
Dimensions: H59cm x W80cm x D150cm.
A brief overview of my Artwork.
Naples has a really strong influence on my practice.
My city offers multiple faces, different historical and cultural influences, this mixture coexists in the same territory.
“The Sun” describes Naples as a dangerous city, it is always suspended, can express death and crime, but can stand by itself proud of its glorious past and present.
“Spaccanapoli”, which slices the historic centre in half is an artery road of the historical centre of Naples and is one of the most important streets of the city.
The name is a popular usage and means, literally, “Naples splitter”.
The name is derived from the fact that it is very long and from above it seems to divide that part of the city.
“Spaccanapoli” is a straight, narrow and dark street that cuts through tall buildings.
Natural daylight barely manages to filter through the roofs above.
I want to analyse this duality between Naples’s darker and brighter side which are the perfect representation of my hometown.
Natural light is metaphorically activating my final installation, passing through the cylindrical structure.
The light is shining over the darkest pattern of coffee scattered on the floor, it represents the light that filters through the roofs of my city over the obscure, narrow streets.
My new temporary Art studio.
Returning to Italy during the pandemic has allowed me to look beyond my studio space, making a new and stronger connection with my cultural background, my displacement which strongly influenced my artistic practice
My dad’s workshop in Naples became my new studio which has all my childhood’s memories.
The new environment has a really strong character, a connotation that influences my practice.
I found a narrative behind found objects collected in the workshop and this played a crucial role in making my art.
I challenged qualities of familiar mediums and my perception of the environment I was working in.
I played with juxtaposition of different objects, trying different layouts, testing visual qualities of everyday objects.
Visual Glossary.
The circle.
The wire circles are a representation of the bond within my family they contain the essence of my former Italian life.
“Being part of the circle” belonging to the family circle is something that makes us all feel safe, but a circle has no edges, no references, we forget how important edges are, the edges are the experiences and difficulties in real life.
The circle is the “norm” and most people have been raised in a metaphorical circle/cage in society, but they reject or don’t want to engage the change or fly away, only a few people open their eyes and see the circle for what it is and try to escape. “Being part of the circle” means to “be accepted” and is a metaphor for modern society.
The cylinder.
The cylinder indicates you are a channel/medium – you can communicate with spirits. A cylinder is typically open at both ends but does not have to be for the meaning to hold. A channel is open for communication in two worlds – the physical world and the spirit world.
Corn.
Corn is a symbol of abundance, fertility and prosperity that you can expect in a future period.
Corn reminds me of my father because he used to plant corn and also, I can metaphorically relate corn to my journey.
The corn represents my willingness to embrace the change, hoping in Naples fast growth, rebirth.
Coffee.
Coffee reminds us of a ritual, exchange between people, journey and the sea.
The dark colour of the coffee represents uncertainty, the cloudy, obscure side of Naples.
Fishing pot.
Fishing is a frustrating thing if we don’t choose the right spot.
The fishing pot is a metaphor for my detachment from my hometown because I am still looking for my right spot, my true home.
Printed clear acetates sheets in the glass jar.
Experiment with text using the Neapolitan language to relate the tradition and primitiveness in my language (Neapolitan) which I find closest to who I am.
The words on acetate translated from Neapolitan as “frightened, hopeless, sorrowful, etc”, all express how I found myself silencing my willingness to embrace the new.
In Naples, I am baffled by my fellow citizens, that they refuse to embrace change, to accept a different reality.
