Artissima

Renata Fabbri is pleased to present, for the 2017 edition of Artissima, the project  “Quello che non è”, a dialogue between Vlatka Horvat (Čakovec, Croatia, 1974) and the artistic duo Goldschmied & Chiari (Milan, 1975; Rome, 1971). Vlatka Horvat and  Goldschmied & Chiari recently met at the gallery and an instant alchemy was born. For Artissima they duet in a game of appearances and disappearances, as if it was the result of the illusionist tricks of an invisible magician. Between spectator and object there’s a dialogical relationship, a sort of mirage that cannot saturate the greed of analyzing of a critical view, una sorta di miraggio, but rather remains on the impalpable level of a subtle understanding between souls.

With smoke, fogginess and blurring as subjects, Sara Goldschmied and Eleonora Chiari present some Untitled Views, an interesting and successful exploration that matches the photographic tecnique and reflecting surfaces, such as mirrors. The key idea from which they draw inspiration is the ability, typical of magicians, to distract the spectator from the objective reality, manipulating the perception of what is happening towards something purely imaginary. Illusionism, confirmed by the “Scatole Magiche” (Magic Boxes), made of walnut wood, that are similar to those used in many magic tricks where everyday objects like watches, tissues or coins appear and disappear. On stage the magician, through illusion, speed and experience, catalyzes the public’s attention on some elements while he hides something else. He tricks the spectator, making him blind before the scene and gifting him of a sense of innocence and wonder.

Vlatka Horvat too creates something magical. Her actions make things happen, making them seem different from what they, initially appear through the use of casual things. She does a sort of magic that brings objects, bodies and images in a state of transformation, through fusion and combination with other improbable elements. The collage series “The Past is Another Country” shifts the point of view of the spectator and invites him to reflect on the original meaning of photography. If on one hand in Goldschmied & Chiari’s works there’s a sense of sophistication and aesthetics and the use of high quality materials, on the other hand Vlatka Horvat’s ones are characterized by a “poor” aesthetic and the use of scraps, surpluses, irregular gestures, but her language is more similar to magic as it creates new declinations of bodies and of objects. “Mirror Chair”  is a clear example of this concept, as it’s a full-fledged magic trick: a half chair is “repaired” by adding a mirror, so the spectator’s body is split in half as he gets closer to the work.