Filippo Minelli recently exhibited new work in a recent solo exhibition “Silence Shapes” at Rutkowski68 Gallery. The show included new mixed media paintings as well as photographs of the artist’s installations. Filippo Minelli is an established contemporary artist with roots in graffiti, and painting public spaces. Recently a graduate from art school his work has taken a political and conceptual direction. It is tough to take the beauty of his “Silence Shapes” installations into the gallery, as they are naturally placed acts executed in nature. An explanation of the series of Color Bombs “Decontextualization of a violent tool changing quickly the surroundings, creating chaos, blinding the eyes, used in natural landscapes. The result proves that beauty can be found in clashing visions with an approach and aesthetic similar to romanticism. Showing the power of nature with the implication of religious aspects. Juxtaposing violence and beauty as a political statement. Giving silence a physical shape to be aware of its presence in the age of information and communication technology. The idea of ‘hidden manifest’ is contemplated in most of religions: Orthodox, Islamic, Catholic, Jewish mysticism, ‘Yin Xian’ for Taoism, and also in great philosophies like Buddhism.” The documentation of the work is a series of photographs that have been exhibited in the gallery. The ephemeral moment of these installations are gone as fast as they are made which is the nature of public art. The artist is left with only a picture of the moment the work of art took place and correlates to his graffiti history, as painting in public is commonly erased in a similar manner. The mix media paintings are reflections of this process and seem to resemble the aftermath of his color bombs. Burnt material scarred with what could be an explosion are a natural transition from his Color Bomb installations. All around a great show from a talented artist who we will be watching for some time I am sure. Pics courtesy of the artist.
GF
