By Eleni Vasiliki Bampaliouta
The Italian Embassy in Athens and the Italian Institute of Culture in Athens present the art exhibition RIFLESSIONI by Antonello Ghezzi & Christina Nakou, in the garden of the Embassy.
On June 21, the day of the summer solstice, the “Riflessioni” exhibition was inaugurated in the garden of the Italian Embassy in Athens. The exhibition is the result of the meeting between the Greek artist Christina Nakou and the artistic duo Antonello Ghezzi (Nadia Antonello and Paolo Ghezzi).
Through their artistic dialogue, the artists attempt to highlight the Mediterranean as a place of reflection, a place that allows us to imagine and, above all, to remain human, accepting the fact that life is full of transformations and reflections. The exhibition draws inspiration from Nuccio Ordine’s book “The Threshold of the Shadow. An introduction to the philosophy of Giordano Bruno”, where spirituality is found in nature and where a connection of the individual reason with the universal is attempted.
The reference to Narcissus, the search for light in the shadow and nature as a kingdom of transformations and reverberations, are the main elements of inspiration that underpin the presentation of the exhibition inside the Embassy garden. The works invite visitors to listen to their inner world as a reflection of the universe and to experience the garden as a peaceful place in which they can tune in, becoming an invaluable part of universal Nature.
In her works, Christina Naku draws inspiration from the Byzantine mosaics of the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna and from the works of the Italian architect Carlo Scarpa in Venice. In the first part of the exhibition, a series of mosaics using the technique of opus vermiculatum, (i.e. with very small mosaics) are presented that depict the refraction of light in the sea and the emergence of colors and their infinite alternations. Presented in the garden, the works invite the visitor to wander through space and time, traveling towards the second part of the exhibition dedicated to the night.
The “Little Letter to J.”, is presented between the two tall cypress trees in the garden. A small round mosaic acts as a mirror that invites the viewer to face their reflection together with the sky, recognizing the vertical axis that connects us to the universe.
In the second part of the exhibition, “Reflections of the Universe” and “Sea-Night” draw inspiration from the reflections of light on water.
At the end of the exhibition, visitors encounter the work “Reflections of the Sea”, a large-scale work designed in silver on sheets of black sheet metal that evokes the nocturnal reflections of the sea. Set in front of a dark shallow pool of water that allows light to reflect, the work meets its reflection in the water, creating a vertical axis that connects us to infinity.
With this conceptual inversion, between the bottom and the top, we arrive at the work “Shooting Stars”, a sound installation by Antonello Ghezzi. Thanks to a live broadcast of the signal coming from the Northern Cross Radio Telescope, visitors will be able to listen to sounds coming from the atmosphere and in particular to hear the shooting stars live during their visit to the exhibition. Thanks to the frequent falls of meteorites in the part of the sky that covers the Mediterranean, the two artists from Bologna, bring to Athens a machine of wishes and emphasize the need to dream and wish something for the future.
Περισσότερα για αυτό το κείμενο-πηγή
The Ambassador of Italy in Athens, H.E. Mrs. Patrizia Falcinelli, emphasized the following in her speech at the opening of the exhibition:
“The main mission of the Italian Embassy in Athens is to create opportunities for meeting and cooperation between Italy and Greece in every field. For this reason, I am particularly happy to be able to host in the garden of our Embassy the exhibition “Riflessioni”, which originates from the collaboration of the Italian artistic duo Antonello Ghezzi (consisting of Nadia Antonello and Paolo Ghezzi) with the Greek artist Christina Nakou.The exhibition combines an original approach to the ancient mosaic technique (which both Italy and Greece preserve beautifully samples), with the sound installation “ShooTng Star”, which broadcasts live sounds from the universe.
The combination of art and technology, ancient techniques and science, seems to me to best represent the current reality of our two countries which, having been friends for millennia, they both look to the future, without at the same time neglecting their privileged relationship with the immense cultural heritage that unites them.
I hope the Athenian audience will appreciate these “Reflections of the Sea and the Sky”, which prompt us to reflect on our relationship with nature and our role in the Universe along with Giordano Bruno, whose philosophy has inspired some of the works.
While Mr. Francesco Neri, Director of the Italian Educational Institute emphasized: “I am happy that the Italian Educational Institute collaborates, together with the Italian Embassy in Athens, in the organization of the exhibition “Riflessioni”. Nadia Antonello and Paolo Ghezzi are two Italian artists who have collaborated with our Institute in the past, who will present their work this year at Kalamata International Dance Festival. Christina Naku, a Greek mosaic artist, is now collaborating with them to create an original work in which they recall the sea and the stars, in the light of the cosmic contemplation of Giordano Bruno, as presented by the philosopher Nuccio Ordine in his recent book ” Threshold of the Shadow”. Their meeting produces a fascinating work that encourages visitors to seek a deeper connection with nature and its transformations. I wish this beautiful initiative good success and I hope it will be the trigger for new collaboration experiments between Italian and Greek artists”.
Short biographies of the artists
Christina Nakou
https://christinanakou.gr / https://www.transiensnostrum.com
Christina Nakou studied painting, mosaic and sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts. She has presented her work in individual and group exhibitions and artistic ventures in Greece, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Austria and Italy. Next to her visual work, she has thoroughly researched and studied ancient mosaics, traveling throughout the Mediterranean.
Her work focuses on the materiality and process of the mosaic technique, proposing an interpretation of the works as material records of the fragments of time.
In 2021 she presented her works at the Archaeological site of Ancient Messina as a dialogue with the ancient monuments. In recent years he has been collaborating with the sound performer Anna Pangalou in the artistic project Transiens Nostrum.
Antonello Ghezzi
www.antonelloghezzi.com
Antonello Ghezzi is an artistic duo formed in 2009 by Nadia Antonello and Paolo Ghezzi at the Bologna Academy of Fine Arts, where they both studied.
Their research focuses on lightness and magic.
Their works, which have seen them exhibited in many parts of the world and in very different institutional spaces, try to make fairy tales tangible. A door that only opens if you smile, soap bubbles that tear down the walls, a wishing machine with shooting stars, small sculptures between lovers, starry skies of the future. Stairs, clouds and blue beacons that – thanks to Gianni Rodari – give us the green light to fly. As if they were winged sandals or mirrors that, like Athena’s shield, help Perseus face Medusa.
Information
The exhibition is hosted in the garden of the Embassy of Italy in Athens (entrance: Sekeri, 2 – 10674 Kolonaki).
The public will be able to visit the exhibition on pre-determined days and times until July 13, 2023, subject to online registration. After the opening night, the opening hours will be as follows:
Wednesday 28 June 20.30-22
Thursday 29 June 16.30-18
Monday 3 July 10.30-12
Wednesday 5 July 20.30-22
Monday 10 July 10.30-12
Wednesday 12 July 20.30-22
Thursday 13 July 16.30-18
