The revival of the Renaissance principle of "chiaroscuro" marks the new exhibition by sculptor Angelo Venosa. A member of the so-called "Generation 80", the São Paulo artist based in Rio de Janeiro is one of the leading names on the contemporary cultural scene. The solo show, which will be held at São Paulo, after visiting the Vila Velha and Belo Horizonte circuits, is defined by the intense and poetic contrast between light and shadow. According to historian and curator Vanda Klabin: “the inclusion of shadows opens up a field of possibilities and articulates the perception of the works , who inhabit a universe permeated by craftsmanship and digital technology, already familiar to the artist's logic".
While in the 15th century the innovative experience of "chiaroscuro" (literally light-and-dark), which emerged in the Renaissance, sought to bring greater reality to painting, here the technique is revisited by the artist, who seeks to counter the linearity of forms and give visibility to a darker universe, I don't need it. “The real inclusion of shadow opens up a possible space, articulates our perception, our ways of seeing, and this simultaneity of events that segments a new territory seems to deny the truth of the eye and makes possible a great variety of accesses to an encrypted reality”, says the curator.
According to Angelo Venosa, Penumbra was defined during his artistic residency abroad, in the United States. “I wanted to do an exhibition working with shadows. At the end of last year, I spent three months in a studio in the United States. When I was there, I away from everything, self-absorbed, I began to resume some processes, my way of working in the 1980s”, he comments.
The São Paulo gallery will feature eight sculptures made from a variety of materials, including bronze, wood, fabric and fiberglass. All of them explore areas that are sometimes full and sometimes empty, creating volumes that acquire unexpected plasticity. The scenic installation of the pieces is capable of constructing a dreamlike atmosphere of space.
Angelo Venosa is one of the few artists of the so-called “Generation 80” who dedicated himself to sculpture, to the detriment of the painting that was then in evidence. From the 1990s onwards, he began to use materials such as marble, wax, lead and animal teeth, creating works that refer to anatomical structures, such as vertebrae and bones. More recently, the artist has begun using 3D printing and computer-aided design to create plywood and metal structures and exoskeletons that resemble corals. Main exhibitions: 19th São Paulo Biennial Paulo, 45th Venice Biennale and 5th Mercosul Biennial. The retrospective in celebration of his 30-year career: MAM Rio de Janeiro, Pinacoteca of São Paulo, Palace of Arts, Belo Horizonte and MAMAM, Recife. Penumbra When? February 9th to March 16th, 2019 Where? Nara Roesler Gallery – Europa Avenue, 655 – São Paulo. Schedules: Monday to Friday from 10am to 7pm and Saturday from 11am to 3pm
