Paolo Canevari
cover: Paolo Canevari Nobody Knows, 2010 photo Marco Anelli Paolo Canevari Born in Rome in 1963, Paolo Canevari lives and works between Rome and New York. Born in an elevator and raised in a family where his grandfather was a painter mosaicist and his uncle a sculptor, Canevari is one of the most internationally renowned artists of his generation. Coming from a family of painters and sculptors who worked with an espressive rhetoric based on sacral and military imagery, which included the Roman she-wolf and eagle, helmet and sword. It was his inevitable destiny to become an artist who sought a mobile material and language strove for the anti-monumental. For these reasons, from the start of his creative development, Canevari has been fascinated by the icons which since the war s end have shaped the memory of Italian culture, but the subjects them to an anti-nostalgic process, in which the material of their figuration evokes the crisis and decline of a civilization. Indeed, his work stems from thoughts and reflections on the transient nature of art and on the significance of artistic sculptures in modern society. While wondering on the value and origin of the most intimate aspects of memory, the artist develops his own personal language where symbols, pop culture, historical knowledge and politics are intertwined in a new interpretation of daily life. Canevari uses different media and materials, from sculptures to installations, from drawings to video. Everything fragile is poetic. Drawing is by its nature this: an example of fragility and poetry. p. 1
The drawing remains a unique sign compared to its sister writing. It is only reproducible visually and cannot be read, recited or transcribed. Canevari has always sought an alternative support to paper, one that would not deny the idea of drawing, in fact one that would make it more unique. The works on glass, the projections and etchings, the worls on marble, all stemmed from this idea, of a drawing in another dimension, another material, another life. The artist s urge to place a sign on a material synonymous with sculpture, solidity, immortality, is meant to reflect the fragility of art even in its traditionally strongest element. The black marble surface is the opposite of the sheet of paper with its whiteness, the carved sign does not allow for mistakes, as does graphite. We remove, not add, as Michelangelo siad about sculpture. The sign is only a scratch on the stone that has waited millions of years. Now it lives. Canevari has participated in numerous museum exhibitions, public commissions and publications throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia. In 2007 he participated at the 52nd Biennial in Venice curated by Robert Storr. His work is collected by major museums throughout the World: Centro per l Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci, Prato; Museum of Modern art MoMA, New York; Foundation Louis Vuitton pour la Creation, Paris; Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation, Miami; Macro, Museo d Arte Contemporanea, Rome; MART Museo d Arte Contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto; Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg; Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica Calcografia Nazionale, Rome; GNAM Galleria Nazionale di Arte Moderna, Rome; Perna Foundation, Capri; Olnick Spanu Art Program Garrison, New York. The connection with historical movements and the influence they have on younger artists is a natural thing. p. 2
Monuments of the Memory, 2016 Casamadre Palazzo Partanna, Piazza dei Martiri, Napoles p. 3
Monuments of the Memory, 2016 Casamadre Palazzo Partanna, Piazza dei Martiri, Napoles p. 4
Souvenir, 2015 Olnick Spanu Art Program, Garrison, US Photography: by Marco Anelli, courtesy Olnick Spanu Art Program Garrison p. 5
Souvenir, 2015 Olnick Spanu Art Program, Garrison, US Photography: by Marco Anelli, courtesy Olnick Spanu Art Program Garrison p. 6
Monuments of the Memory, 2011-2015, GRANPALAZZO, Zagarolo p. 7
Monuments of the Memory, 2011-2015, GRANPALAZZO, Zagarolo p. 8
Monuments of the Memory Monotype Series, 2015 Aquatint on Hahnemûhle copperplate paper 300 gsm Monotype etching Size: 30 x 42 inches p. 9
Beginning and End series, 2014 Collage of first and last pages from books p. 10
drawing from the series Black Tears, 2014 ink on paper 29 x 29 cm p. 11
Drawings from the series Black Tears, 2014 ink on paper/first and last pages from books p. 12
Monuments of the Memory, 2013 Galleria Christian Stein Milan p. 13
Monuments of the Memory, 2013 Galleria Christian Stein Milan p. 14
Public Project Monument of the Memory, (Billboard), 2013 New York p. 15
Paolo Canevari s Studio in Brooklyn Photos by Francesco Carrozzini, 2012 p. 16
Paolo Canevari s Studio in Brooklyn Photos by Francesco Carrozzini, 2012 p. 17
Visionaire RELIGION, 2011 Curated by Riccardo Tisci Project by Paolo Canevari in collaboration with Francesco Carrozzini and Franca Sozzani p. 18
Black Books, 2011 p. 19
Odi et Amo, 2010 Rome, GNAM (Galleria Nazionale d Arte Moderna) p. 20
Odi et Amo, 2010 Rome, GNAM (Galleria Nazionale d Arte Moderna) p. 21
Madre Mia, 2010 Rome, Palazzo Valentini p. 22
Madre Mia, 2010 Rome, Palazzo Valentini p. 23
She-Wolf Knife, Eagle Fork, Octopus Spoon, 2010 Silver p. 24
Nobody Knows, 2010 Prato, Centro per l arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci p. 25
Nobody Knows, 2010 Prato, Centro per l arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci p. 26
Nobody Knows, 2010 Prato, Centro per l arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci p. 27
Nobody Knows, 2010 Prato, Centro per l arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci p. 28
ThANKS, 2010 Galleria Christian Stein, Milan p. 29
Decalogo, 2008 Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica, Rome p. 30
Decalogo, 2008 Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica, Rome p. 31
Burning Gun, 2006 Graphite on paper 21 x 30 cm Burning Tree, 2006 Graphite on paper 21 x 30 cm p. 32
Godog (right), 2007 Graphite on paper 270 x 400 cm MACRO Museo d Arte Contemporanea, Rome Photo: Giorgio Benni p. 33
Burning skull (right), 2007 Graphite on paper 400 x 270 cm MACRO Museo d Arte Contemporanea, Rome Photo: Giorgio Benni p. 34
No Title, 2007 Collaboration with the designer Ricardo Tisci, Another magazine Photo: Richard Burbridge p. 35
Bouncing skull, 2007 Video (10 30 ) Shot in the former Serbian Army Head Quarters in Belgrade, that was bombed in 1999 by the NATO. p. 36
Burning skull, 2006 video (4 ) p. 37
Burning Colosseum, 2006 Video (3 15 ) p. 38
Burning Gun, 2006 Video (4 ) p. 39
Swings, 2006 tires, paint installation view, Patong Beach, Thailand p. 40
Rubber Car, 2006 Rubber from inner tubes MART, Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto (Italy) p. 41
Continents, 2005 Video (5 40 ) p. 42
Ring of Fire, 2005 Pretoria Video (8 15 ) p. 43
Black Stone, 2005 Rubber from inner tubes p. 44
Seed, 2004 Performance, New York p. 45
Seed, 2004 Installation, New York p. 46
Welcome to Oz, 2004 Installation, Rubber from inner tubes PS1 Contemporary Art Center, New York (USA) p. 47
Godog, 2003 Acrylic paint, chain, dog installation, Museion Museo d arte contemporanea di Bolzano, Bolzano (Italy) p. 48
Colosso, 2002 Installation and performance, Galleria Christian Stein, Milan (Italy) p. 49
Colosso, 2002 Installation and performance, Galleria Christian Stein, Milan (Italy) p. 50
The Line, 2002 Rubber from bicycle inner tube performance, EV+A 2002, Limerick (Ireland) p. 51
Bites, 2003 Tires, acrylic paint, chains, dogs / Installation, Foundation Krisnhamurti, Bangalore (India) p. 52
God Year, 2003 Acrylic paint, tire, tank Outdoor installation, Rome (Italy) p. 53
Jesus-Mohammed-Buddha, 2002 Acrylic paint, caravans installation, Villa Medici Accademia di Francia, Rome (Italy) p. 54
Jesus-Mohammed-Buddha, 2001 Acrylic oaint, car cloths, cars Outdoor installation, outskirts of Bangkok (Thailand) Center of Academic Resources Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok p. 55
On Road, 2001 Water on asphalt Outdoor installation, Rome (Italy) p. 56
Papa, 2001 Actor, cloth made from rubber inner tubes Performance, Palazzo Delle Papesse, Centro Arte Contemporanea, Siena p. 57
Mama, 2000 Actor, rubber inner tube, rubber from bicycle inner tube, nail. Performance, Associazione Volume!, Rome (Italy) p. 58
Ossi, 1999 Cloth made from rubber inner tubes (4x4m), automobile Trabant (DDR) Installation, Galleria Comunale d Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Rome (Italy) p. 59
Jesus, 1999 18th century wooden sculpture, tire p. 60
Fosso, 1998 Installation view, Istituto Austriaco di Cultura, Rome p. 61
Cero, 1998 Stick on wall, candle installation in artist s studio, Rome p. 62
Spaghetti, 1998 Overcooked pasta on table installation in artist s house, Rome p. 63
Ponte, 1994 Ballpoint pen drawing on paper, bottle Work to abandon in river or sea p. 64
SupeRoma, 1994 Video stills from animated film, 2 min. Production Blobcartoon, Rai 3 p. 65
Buoni e cattivi, 1994 Acrylic paint on school desks and on comic book pages from Marvel Comics superheroes Installation view, Scuola elementare Giosuè Carducci, Rome (Italy) p. 66
Eroi, 1991 Acrylic paint on comic book pages from Marvel Comics superheroes p. 67
Colonna barocca, 1989 Exhibition, one-night installation, Wessel O Connor Gallery, New York p. 68
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