Titian's Sacra Conversazione at Fondazione Magnani-Rocca

They call it the Villa of the Masterpieces for good reason. The Fondazione Magnani-Rocca 's collection boasts a Titian of such sublime quality that the likes of the National Gallery or the Louvre would be lucky to have it. It's one of those jaw-dropping pieces that you could easily build an entire exhibition around.

Titian the undisputed revolutionary of the Venetian Renaissance and beyond, his many inventions are far-reaching and influential to this day. This magnificent Sacra Conversazione - a genre of religious painting developed in the 15th century in which saints are grouped in a unified space around the Virgin, often enthroned, and Child in a single panel - painted c. 1513 displays a few of them.

Titian the master of colour unleashes his bold and refined palette. Saint Catherine is draped in a shimmery light lilac dress, while a green mantle falls from her shoulders. The Virgin's bright red and blue garments illuminate the canvas making her and the Child the focal point of the altarpiece. These striking chromatic tones push them forward from the dark brown background, also one of Titian's innovative devices.

Conversely, the two figures on the right are painted with far greater economy of colour. The white of San Domenico's tunic is wedged between his own and the donor's black mantle. Behind them, Titian opens a window onto a dramatic landscape where nature is wild and full of pathos.

Last but not least, most holy conversations are infused with an aura of stillness and meditation, no one is actually conversing with anyone as they are too busy praying or reading. Not this one: the asymmetry and the levelled placement of the figures in this luminous, balanced composition create an extraordinary, palpable flow of engagement and emotion.

#titian #painting #renaissance #fondazionemagnanirocca #sacraconversazione #artblog #beyondthecanvasblog

"Sacra Conversazione", Titian c. 1513

Andreas Gursky: Visual Spaces of Today - MAST Foundation, Bologna

"I do see myself as a chronicler. My pictures try to encapsulate our time." - Andreas Gursky

Whatever he sees himself as, Andreas Gursky is the creator and sole owner of a visual language like no other. His iconic large-scale digitally-manipulated photos (they sell for millions, in case you were wondering) present us with a reality that, depending on how close or far from them we are, is both familiar and alien. I found his befuddling blend of figurative and abstract dizzying and deeply intriguing. And yes, also a little bit anxiety-inducing.

To look at Gursky's imagery is to stand in front a mirror. Before us, a rather sobering vision of today's globalised world. His work confronts the state of humanity, the devastating damage inflicted on the environment, our sick fascination with the relentless acquisition and obscene consumption of stuff. There is chaos, there is order, there is tension and there is pain. In short, there is reality. And in all this, human beings are but a small, negligible presence. Blurry, faceless and, ultimately, the smallest cog in a big machine.

This show should not be missed. Once again, I take my hat off to Urs Stahel, his team and the artist himself for curating such an arresting and thought-provoking exhibition. At Fondazione MAST until January 7, 2024.

#andreasgursky #photography #contemporaryart #FondazioneMAST #Bologna #blog #artblog #beyondthecanvasblog

99 Cent II, 1991

Untitled XIII, 2002

Amazon, 2016

Nha Trang, 2004

Bahrain I, 2005

Les Mées, 2016

Lucio Fontana's quest for space

‘I do not want to make a painting, I want to open up space’ —L. Fontana

And this really is everything you need to know about Fontana's iconic works. Whether the canvas was punctured or slashed, Fontana's gesture revealed a space that wasn't there before. Or rather, it was, but we couldn't see it. By replacing brushes with blades and punches, Fontana crossed a visual and spiritual frontier, forever shifting the limits of perspective and becoming the undisputed master of spatial infinity. Fontana blurred the lines between painting and sculpting, unearthing a new gestural aesthetic.

What struck me about this video was the intensity of the intention, if you'll excuse the alliteration. Over the years, I have seen countless Concetti Spaziali, but this was my first time seeing the artist inflict wounds on the canvas. There is an undeniable sexual energy about the artist's proximity to the canvas (or is it just me?), a thoughtful, almost fastidious, engagement in the way he wields his tools violating the material in a breathless crescendo. As he stated in his White Manifesto from 1946, 'matter should be infiltrated by energy to achieve dimensional, dynamic forms of expression.' There is no doubt that Fontana succeeded in his quest to convert matter into energy and invade space beyond the physical limits posed by the picture plane. His work remains timeless, enigmatic and universal.

The video is part of the impeccably curated (by Emma Lavigne) Icônes exhibition at the jaw-dropping Punta della Dogana venue of the Pinault Collection in Venice. Runs to November 26th.

#luciofontana #icones #spatialism #modernart #pinaultcollection #venice