Mazzoleni, in collaboration with Leomina Art Advisory, is pleased to present the exhibition Morandi e Salvo: l'eco della luce at the traditional Hanok in Bukchon. The exhibition explores the visual connections between two of the most distinguished Italian artists of the past century, each belonging to a different generation.: Giorgio Morandi (1890-1964) and Salvo (1947-2015) within the setting of a 100-year-old house and the former studio of a silversmith.
Opening on the evening of 4 September in occasion of Samcheong Night in Seoul, the exhibition aims to highlight the similarities between the two artists in their dedication to naturalistic exploration and their pursuit of formal simplification.
With their anti-rhetorical subjects, Morandi’s and Salvo’s paintings reveal a fundamental light of memory and a dreamlike quality.
Initially attracted by the forms of Futurism and later by the metaphysical style of de Chirico, Morandi chose to paint still lifes, renowned for their tonal subtlety in the composition of apparently simple subjects, mainly vases, bottles, bowls and flowers. His economical use of form, light and colour lends everyday objects a serene, timeless and luminous monumentality.
With great sensitivity to tone, color, and compositional balance, he repeatedly depicted the same familiar bottles and vases in paintings remarkable for their simplicity of execution. Morandi's Natura morta (Still Life) of 1959 exemplifies his dedication to transform simple everyday objects into profound visual experiences, creating a dialogue of light and shadow.
Salvo’s enduring muse of the Italian landscape can be seen across his oeuvre with paintings that compositionally rhyme, reflecting a townscape as it gradually changes over times of day, seasons and years. Originally from Leonforte in Sicily, Salvo's artistic journey was profoundly shaped by his exposure to Arte Povera and his interactions with influential figures such as Alighiero Boetti, Sol LeWitt, and Joseph Kosuth during his formative years in Turin.
The decisive year of 1973 marked Salvo's return to painting, developing a distinctive style that merges early conceptualism with vibrant, original aestetics. His landscape capture the essence of the Italian countryside, refelecting the passage of time and change in light.
Salvo is a unique figure of his time: his luminous and highly stylised paintings have a depth that almost borders on the conceptual, with references to artists such as Giorgio de Chirico and Carlo Carrà. His condensed representation of space, the vertical construction of the composition and the luminous palette even recall the work of the Italian Renaissance masters. Salvo blends real and imaginary spaces in a meditation on the psychology of place and abstract concepts such as time. Ottobre of 2001 in which the viewer is led down a path that leads to many other works named after seasons, months and times of day, exemplifies his masterful use of light and vivid colours to convey the passage of time and memory.
There is no parking available. The venue can be found just a 10 minute walk away from MMCA Museum.
RSVP is not required.