The infinite void of Arcangelo Sassolino opens a new wonderful space of Atipografia

Atipografia is a reality reborn today, a project of contemporary art with its roots in the past, founded by Elena Dal Mullen in the province of Vicenza, in Arzignano. The space, completely renovated by an important restoration, takes on a new functional logic and becomes an open window on the contemporary world and the world at large.

Starting on Saturday, May 21, 2022, this former print institution opens its doors to the public and underlines the close bond with its territory and the necessity of international projection. The project creates a bridge between the past, the present and the future through a program that combines a commercial dimension and a cultural dimension, as a cultural association and trade fair. At first this place was a printing press and an old paper warehouse built of wood and brick with an unstable roof.

The house that preceded the creation of this space was an artist’s residence, where site-specific exhibitions were held, but a renovation was necessary and this was also made possible by the creation of a wonderful team, in collaboration with the AMAA studio, A young architect studio took care of the restoration project. The synergy with the municipality of Arzignano was fundamental to changing the history of this building, and the cultural project gradually strengthened, becoming more and more ambitious and larger. Atipografia’s mission is to transmit contemporary art in the territory and to be another place of reference made up of two souls. The association continues its mission as a cultural association, with the support of the municipality of Arzignano, by partnering with Umberto Alemanni Editore, there will be numerous presentations of books and will host concerts, both classical and experimental. In the program there is also a play “Desiderio” by Vitaliano Trevisan, who wrote, among other things, “Private Delirium”, as well as a team of artists thanks to which exhibitions will be held.

Marcelo Galiotto and Alessandra Rampazzo are the founders of Amaa, the first sketches of the restoration project entrusted to them were made pre-pandemic in 2019 and after all this time, a professional partnership between the studio, Elena Dal Molin and the municipality of Arzignano has consolidated and the result is an intervention of international standing. From its inception, the project has investigated the theme of the threshold, a topic that has been explored many times in art and architecture, but which for the studio represents a place of definite thickness, not merely an intersection. The threshold is called Threshold and treasure, in an attempt to decipher the difficult process of approaching art, marked by a threshold often seen as impassable by masses, it is an entrance into a world other than the one that precedes it, as little as in Indian and Japanese culture one becomes a garden. These two cultures teach the need to get away from urban chaos and only after this little lung of Verdi reach a second space.

Entering the exhibition area from the side, a choice inspired by the concepts of exploration and discovery, this second place is built in several moments, as it always happens in Venetian culture. When you enter, you discover the first element dating back to the 19th century, a reinforced concrete frame, and here was the actual print. Next to it there is another garden, a hanging area, which always restores the concepts of harmony and coexistence with nature. The gallery space is white but not linear, layered, a staircase leads to an upper floor that is wider than the lower floor, divided into lengths. After success, you reach the “Panopticon”, which literally in Greek means “see everything”, precisely because from this point all the diversity of the buildings surrounding Atipografia can be seen.

Arcangelo Sassolino became an apostle of certain subjects through his works, in deep synergy with the works of Atipografia. The corporate spirit that characterizes this project is materially transformed into the artist’s work. Emptiness without measure (2022) was specially designed for the outdoor spaces of Atipografia. A fan that generates winds of 12 degrees, which is the force of a hurricane. Being in front of her makes us weak, almost to defy the force of gravity. Air becomes a matter, albeit invisible, that we have to confront.

When this huge mass of air takes possession of the bodies and moves them at will, one feels helpless, and the generator of this current represents all the power of the interweaving between nature and mechanics, the same sensation that surprises those who live in this place. even for a moment. the work ButThe rcus (2017) features an inflated tire compressed by a horseshoe chassis. The tension between the two subjects is synonymous with elasticity, an agreement between two polar opposites, both functional and physical. Arcangelo’s work is always based on two basic elements: on the one hand, there is a conflict between two substances, while on the other hand, it is a reflection between presence and non-being, between injury and wounding. Thus, these works are not just a game of joints between different elements, but a real inner journey in the search for oneself. In a sense, these structures are mutant, because it is not only them that suffer, but that they are identical with them. So yeah, no (2022) Site specific statue consisting of a symbol par excellence in weight: an anvil of 290 kg.

This block of steel rests on a suspended glass panel, curved by the weight it lowers.

The weight is that the curvature of the plate, there is a very thin balance of forces which is of great concern, it seems that the fate of this material collision is unambiguous.

Weight becomes a perception of the force of gravity, and the impending danger is multiplied.

The first consists in the possibility of the slab being subject to the force of gravity, and the second lies in the fact that Sassolino builds this installation at the height of our gaze, and therefore represents a threat to our vision, the whole structure becomes a “Mori memento”, whose purpose is to release one’s consciousness of death, but above all the importance life.

In contrast, it is located on the other side of the park Newton says that… (2021), which consists of sheets of tempered glass cut with diamonds, held together by a series of clamps.

Unlike ordinary glass, tempered glass can bend because it retains its liquid core, during the creation process it undergoes two steps: in the first its spirit melts, and in the second there is a protective lowering of the temperature that is carried out by jets of water. The cold air that strengthens it. These panes of glass are placed next to each other, the force of gravity attracts the plates to the ground, while clamps seem to support them. The exhibition captivates the visitor with a dual dynamic between strength and tenderness. The artist’s strong ability also lies in enhancing the aesthetics of the materials used, and the “union characteristic” between them is air as an invisible but present force, which is the subject of investigation in this exhibition.

The name Atipografia was undoubtedly chosen to honor the previous temple, but also because the first letter “a” in Greek expresses negative, in fact, although this temple already has a long story to tell, it is again ready to write new pages to trace the destinies And other chapters waiting to be listed.

Comment with Facebook