Pavilion of the Republic of San Marino at 59. International art exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia

Pavilion of the Republic of San Marino at 59. International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia

Palazzo Donà dalle Rose, Fondamenta Nove, Cannaregio 5038, Venice

23 April - 27 November 2022

Elisa Cantarelli, #nicolettaceccoli, #endless, #michelangelogalliani, #rosamundi, #robertopacidalo, #annececilesurga, Michele Tombolini

METAMORPHIC POSTHUMAN

Commissioner: Riccardo Varini

Curator: #vincenzorotondo (FR Institute of Contemporary Art)

Scientific Committee:

Alessandro Bianchini, Roberto Felicetti, Cristian Contini, Fulvio Granocchia, Pasquale Lettieri, James Putnam, Riccardo Varini, Angela Vettese

Organization: FR Istituto d'Arte Contemporanea in collaboration with Cris Contini Contemporary

It is officially opened to the public the Pavilion of the Republic of San Marino at the 59. International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, open until 27 November 2022 in the Renaissance spaces of Palazzo Donà dalle Rose (Fondamenta Nove, Cannaregio 5038, Venice).

San Marino’s national participation in the Biennale #arte 2022 was strongly supported by the Secretary of State for Education and Culture, the University and Scientific Research, the Youth Policies of the Republic of San Marino, in the person of the Secretary of State Andrea Belluzzi, supported by Commissioner Riccardo Varini, by the curator Vincenzo Rotondo and by FR Institute of #contemporaryart in collaboration with Cris Contini Contemporary for the organization.

Metamorphic Posthuman alludes to the natural tension of man towards the future, between possible transformations and new forms of existence and coexistence. Eight artists were invited: Elisa Cantarelli, #nicolettaceccoli, #endless, #michelangelogalliani, #rosamundi, Roberto Paci Dalò, Anne-Cécile Surga, #micheletombolini. The selection was made by a scientific committee composed of Alessandro Bianchini, Roberto Felicetti, Cristian Contini, Fulvio Granocchia, Pasquale Lettieri, James Putnam, Riccardo Varini, Angela Vettese. Contini, Fulvio Granocchia, Pasquale Lettieri, James Putnam, Riccardo Varini, Angela Vettese.

The inaugural evening was attended by Authorities and representatives of the Institutions, as well as well-known exponents of the world of art, culture, fashion, of entrepreneurship, entertainment and sport. The languages of art and fashion have given shape to unique performances thanks to the collaboration between Elisabetta Franchi and the artists protagonists of the Pavilion. The event ended with a highly participatory charity auction, the proceeds of which were donated to UNICEF to support projects related to the humanitarian emergency in Ukraine.

A sign of attention to the international situation is also offered by the screening at Palazzo Donà dalle Rose of a video taken from ‘THE MILKY WAY’ project, made by a team of Russian, Ukrainian and Armenian artists (Olga Kisseleva, Taisiya Polishchuk, Catherine Braslawski, Tatiana Drozd, Victoria Ananyan), with the support of the Alexandr Savchuk Foundation of Mariupol and the participation of the dancers of the Monte-Carlo Ballet, to suggest a different, resolutely peaceful approach, that protects, sustains, embraces, nourishes, elevates and unites.

«The project of the Pavilion of the Republic of San Marino at the Biennale #arte 2022, welcomed in the prestigious spaces of Palazzo Donà dalle Rose, is characterized by being a project with an international flavor thanks to the participation of both San Marino artists and foreign artists – says the Secretary of State for Culture of the Republic of San Marino Andrea Bellluzzi. San Marino is represented by the poles of its culture, its artists and its University.The country is pursuing a path of greater focus on art and cultural initiatives as elements of attractiveness that help bring attentive visitors to our country. The reason that made me lean toward the collaboration between FR Institute of #contemporaryart and its partner Cris Contini Contemporary is that the project will have an impact on the territory of San Marino during and after the Biennale: the artists present at the event will in fact bring their installations and their performances also in the Republic of San Marino».

The Pavilion – says Commissioner Riccardo Varini – hosts contributions by San Marino artists, Italians, French and English, to promote the Country System through #contemporaryart, with a view to international comparison and openness. In response to the requests of the artistic director of the Biennale #arte 2022, Cecilia Alemani, we chose to deepen the theme proposed (body and metamorphosis, individual/technology and individual/nature relationship) on different levels: from language to reflection on the present, even to the work of art in its making. Palazzo Donà dalle Rose, the venue of the exhibition, is an example of this concept. It represents different dimensions and souls, material and immaterial, that are handed down from the past and merge in the present, combining the permanence of the ancient city with the innovative vision of the modern».

«The project Metamorphic Posthuman – explains the curator Vincenzo Rotondo (FR Institute of Contemporary Art) – was born in August 2021, starting from studies conducted in previous years on Posthumanism and Transhumanism. It arises from an awareness of human frailty, but also from the great gift we have, namely the sense of the horizon, of depth, the ability to look and go beyond. We have always asked ourselves many questions: how to prolong our life, how to transform ourselves to adapt to changes. Now we have reached a critical point, where the Human Being thinks he can be sufficient for himself and that he can dominate the world. The technique, according to Transhumanism, was born to save human life. Thanks to science and medicine we have had great advantages from this point of view, but to overtake science and medicine at the expense of the human/nature relationship implies a great risk. Just as it is risky to force and adapt the environment to one’s own needs: we see it in the drying up of the terrestrial globe, in the melting of glaciers, in the change of the Gulf Stream. In fact, the real problem is us, who should move towards Nature and find solutions that allow us to enter into synergy with the environment. The Metamorphic Posthuman that we like to imagine will be able to interact with its own reference Macrocosm, creating new forms of coexistence and transformation».

Elisa Cantarelli presents WRP WITHout esSENZA, with the critical contribution of Pasquale Lettieri. The installation is based on the experience gained by the artist with the project We are Plastic, aimed at raising public awareness of sustainability through collective action. For Metamorphic Posthuman, the bottle takes on a new meaning, transforming from a container object to an element rich in contents. A tent of bottles invites, in fact, the user to enter a suspended space where to start their own metamorphosis. Born in Fidenza (PR) in 1981, #elisacantarelli lives in London, working with art galleries in Italy and Japan.

Nicoletta Ceccoli and Roberto Paci Dalò present the project Risvegli, with the critical contribution of #vincenzorotondo. With her pictorial works, populated by fantastic creatures and symbols, Ceccoli tells a new communion with the non-human, with the animal and with the earth, exalting a sense of affinity between species. A visual and sound artist, Paci Dalò builds alchemical fairy tales capable of evoking the myth present in our daily lives. A "pluriphony" in which human, vegetable, animal and mineral are found. #nicolettaceccoli was born in 1973 in the Republic of San Marino, where she still lives and works. She boasts numerous international exhibitions and collaborations with the publishing field. Born in Rimini in 1962, Roberto Paci Dalò is Unirsm professor, expert of the European Commission and member of the New European Bauhaus design group.

Endless presents The #endless Transfiguration, with the critical contribution of Pasquale Lettieri. A monumental installation that claims the importance and resilience of nature, combining it with the human technological process. An imperfect journey towards a respectful and harmonious future, with unlimited physical possibilities and innovative creativity in abundance. #endless is a London artist who blends techniques and practices of contemporary and street art. His works, present in important collections around the world, explore humanity’s relationship with fashion, advertising, brand worship, consumerism and celebrity culture.

Michelangelo Galliani presents Un Giardino Imperfetto, with the critical contribution of Pasquale Lettieri. Born from a reflection on what humanity represents in relation to the environment in which it lives, the project involves the insertion of some fragments of a large sculpture in statuary marble - as evidence of a lost civilization - inside a tank with a thin veil of water (a primordial element) from which emerges a dense interweaving of trunks and golden branches with gold leaf. #michelangelogalliani was born in 1975 in Montecchio Emilia (RE), where he lives and works. Sculptor and teacher at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Urbino, he won the Franco Cuomo International Award.

Rosa Mundi presents Posology Humanity’s Time, with the critical contribution of Angela Vettese. The artwork is accompanied by critical texts by Maria Abramenko, Guido Brivio, Gian Camillo Custoza, Andrea Guastella, James Putnam, Susanna Ravelli. #rosamundi, using recovered materials, develops the theme of the Metamorphic Posthuman with an articulated installation that traces the evolution of man in his transition from a mammalian herbivorous animal to Homo Sapiens, to the point of believing that it is a geological force capable of modifying the normal course of evolution of the planet. His works are part of important public and private collections; has also produced numerous theatrical sets.

Anne-Cécile Surga presents Body Memories - Matter Memories, with the critical contribution of Pasquale Lettieri. The project focuses on the theme of the body, perceived as a way to experience the world. Her bodies, carved in marble, are able to reactivate emotions and be reactivated by them; bodies free from laws and legal, religious and social expectations. Born in 1987 in Lavelanet, France, #annececilesurga studied in the United States and at the Fundacion Pablo Atchugarry in Uruguay. Her work, internationally exhibited, is part of the collections of the MUST Museum of Vimercate (MB) and the Fundación AMA (Santiago de Chile).

Michele Tombolini presents Digital Humanity, with the critical contribution of Pasquale Lettieri. The project proposes, through five works on canvas with digital inserts, a reflection on the condition of the human being after the advent of technology as evolved as alienating, able to question the very foundation of reality. Painter and sculptor, not new to street art interventions, Tombolini was born in Venice in 1963. After participating in the Biennale #arte 2013 and moving to Berlin, his research takes a more conceptual direction, so much so that the idea and the social message become cornerstones of his production.

More information about San Marino’s national participation in the Biennale #arte 2022 can be found at www.biennaleveneziasanmarino.com , Facebook @biennaleveneziasanmarino, Instagram @biennalevenezia_sanmarino. Official hashtags: #biennaleveneziasanmarino - #postumanometamorfico.

Further information in the press release to download