Current: For and Against Prometheus

The Kosmos programme aims to “make worlds meet.” It does this by showing pairs of artists who are different in the way they express themselves and in the audience they usually reach, but who still have important elements in common. In this case, the common element is the importance of performance in their creative process. 

This third exhibition presents two Italian artists connected to Trentino, but very different in generation and experience: the very young Irene Tabanelli (born 2003) and Stefano Cagol (born 1969).

 

Stefano Cagol is one of the most internationally known Italian artists. In recent years, he has focused on the urgent issues facing our planet. These are linked to human overexploitation of nature and endless interventions for profit. One example of this is his series We Are the Flood. It touches us directly, because today we often experience extreme heat, followed by heavy rain and serious problems in land management. Using different techniques, and often working in complete solitude, Cagol creates powerful and memorable images. Some are now on display at Serene Gallery.

One of the examples is the framed photo taken in Venice in 2013, during one of his many participations in the Venice Biennale. On that occasion, he created The Ice Monolith, an action where he placed a 1,500 kg block of ice between San Marco and the Arsenale. The block melted in 72 hours, leaving a visible trail of water for the many visitors during the Biennale opening days. This was a strong reminder that Venice is one of the most at-risk European cities for sea-level rise, mainly caused by melting ice. Cagol, who was born and lives in Trentino, points out that these glaciers are no longer “eternal,” unlike what people used to call them in the 1970s.

 

Irene Tabanelli’s works are also born from performance, but not always in public. Like many young artists, she has a strong creative drive. Her work often takes the form of action painting and process-based art, which she calls her creative method.

Irene builds special structures, which she calls “action boxes,” to create her paintings, even in her studio. Her canvases are handmade and often include different fabrics and frames. For example, her work Fiume is mounted on an old wooden bed frame and was painted on the banks of a river in the Apennines, where she comes from. She paints with the canvas placed above her head. When the work is dry and displayed, the paint seems to flow toward the viewer, pulled by gravity.

Nature is always central to her work. In the gallery’s office, a monitor shows her recent performance Vita Verticale, made on the island of Gozo, Malta. It was created on the edge of a cliff above the sea, inspired by the natural energy of the place. The result is strongly expressive, close to a renewed form of abstract expressionism.

 

In Lugano, the dialogue between artists at different points in their careers is especially important. The comparison is stimulating for both the artists and the public. We believe that approaching the works of Cagol and Tabanelli is not only interesting but also moving.

The same fire that Prometheus stole for humanity can also melt ice. Fusion can bring both positive and negative outcomes for the environment and for our lives. But without the courage to risk, to rebel, and to seek freedom—as Prometheus did—art itself would probably not exist.