“Art is always a story behind appearances.”
Anonymous
Among the characteristics of aluminium is corrosion resistance, that is, the ability of this metal to resist the action of external agents. This happens because, in contact with oxygen, a film, a protective layer, is created on the surface of aluminium, which is thin and resistant. It is as if the metal puts in place a kind of defense mechanism, protection, integrity, to endure the weather and external aggression,in order not to lose its physical and chemical characteristics. Beneath the surface, aluminium remains itself and preserves its peculiarities. A natural process that can be said to be analogous to the reactions of human beings, who often, in order to defend themselves, mask their feelings, personal and true psychological and spiritual traits.
“Aluminium, beneath the surface,” starting from a specific property of this metal, wants to be an encouragement to aim at the heart of things, to express in art what is often hidden behind appearances, what leaks out, what is not immediately visible and delineable, what is hidden. Art after all by its nature is also forwarding into the invisible, probing the inner spaces of existence.
THE JURY
GIORGIO AGNISOLA
Critico d’arte e scrittore, docente
Presidente di Giuria
Giorgio Agnisola (1947), art critic and writer, is Professor Emeritus of Sacred Art and Cultural Heritage at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy (ITS). He is one of Italy’s leading specialists in contemporary sacred art. He was one of the founders of the School of Higher Education in Art and Theology of the Pontifical Faculty of Naples, San Luigi section, which he co-directed from 2006 to 2019. He is valde peritus of the Faculty for Aesthetic-Theological Sciences. He edits the AT periodical, online and in print, Arts, and theologies, and is the founder and presenter of the formation project VisioDei. He worked from 1983 to 1995 in the French-speaking countries of Europe, within the framework of international agreements, as a consultant for modern and contemporary art. From 2005 to 2008, he was the Gaeta Municipal Art Gallery Director. He has curated exhibitions of international importance on a scientific level. Among them: Il Simbolismo in Belgio (Symbolism in Belgium) (Caserta, 1985), Emilio Greco, la dimensione psicologica e spirituale (The Psychological and Spiritual Dimension)(2010); Alberto Magnelli, opere 1915-1970 (Alberto Magnelli, Works 1915-1970) (2012); Alberto Burri, Unico e multiplo (Unique and Multiple) (2014), Afro, La memoria ritrovata (Afro, The Found Memory) (2016), Pietro Consagra, La memoria trasparente (Transparent Memory) (2017), Aligi Sassu, 1915-1930 (2019), Rosso Guttuso, opere 1934-1984 (Rosso Guttuso, Works 1934-1984) (2020). He has written and edited many books. Among the most recent ones: Lo sguardo e l’oltre (The Look and the beyond (2018), Arte e dialogo nel Mediterraneo (Art and dialogue in the Mediterranean) (edited) ( 2019), La materia trasparente (The transparent matter) (2021), Henri Matisse, Gioia di vivere (Henri Matisse, Joy of living) (2022)(edited), L’amore spezzato, Dei distacchi e degli addii ( The broken love, of detachments and farewells) (2023), Quale arte sacra oggi? ( Which sacred art today?) (edited, with A. Dall’Asta). He is a member of the International Association of Art Critics. He has contributed to the cultural pages of the daily newspaper Avvenire since 1990. For his work as an art critic he has received two international awards: Chevalier de l’Ordre de Leopold II in Belgium, in 1987, and Officier de l’Ordre de Mérite in Luxembourg, in 1991. He was recently awarded the Premio Montale Fuori di casa for the Art section.
ALESSANDRO BERTRAMI
Journalist and Art Historian
Alessandro Bertrami (born 1977) is an art historian with a degree from the Università Cattolica in Milan, a professional pianist, and a professional journalist. He is the deputy editor of the cultural section of the daily newspaper Avvenire, where he focuses on topics related to art, architecture, and cultural policies. He is also part of the editorial team for the monthly cultural magazine Luoghi dell’Infinito, where he regularly writes about the relationship between art and the sacred, particularly regarding contemporary issues and artistic languages. He is the author of numerous articles and critical essays. He lives in Lodi.
BRUNA ESPOSITO
Artist
In the field of visual arts, he works primarily with drawing, installation, photography, video, performance, and site-specific projects. He has participated in prestigious institutional exhibitions, including the Rome Quadriennale (2021, 2008, 1996), the Cuenca Biennial in Ecuador (2016), the New Orleans Biennial in the USA (2008), the Gwanjiu Biennial in South Korea (2004), the Istanbul Biennial in Turkey (2003), Sonsbeek 9 in Arnhem, Netherlands (2001), the Venice Biennale (1999, 2005), and Documenta X in Kassel, Germany (1997). His awards include the 9th Edition of the Italian Council Prize, MIC, Rome (2021), selection for the Chamber of Deputies Prize for the 150th Anniversary of Italian Unification, Palazzo Montecitorio, Rome (2011), the National Prize for Young Italian Art, MAXXI, Rome (2001), P.S.1 Italian Program, New York, USA (1999), and the Golden Lion at the 48th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale with the group pavilion Dapertutto, Venice (1999). He is currently part of the Research Fellowship program at the Museum of Civilizations in Rome and teaches sculpture techniques at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome.
STEFANO TACCONE
Art History Professor, Freelance Curator, Journalist
Born in Naples in 1981, he is a critic and curator with a PhD in Archaeological and Art Historical Research Methods from the University of Salerno. From 2013 to 2015, he taught contemporary art history at RUFA – Rome University of Fine Arts. His published monographs include Hans Haacke. Il contesto politico come materiale (Plectica, 2010); La contestazione dell’arte. La pratica artistica verso la vita in area campana. Da Giuseppe Desiato agli esordi dell’arte nel sociale (Iod, 2015); and La radicalità dell’avanguardia (Ombre Corte, 2017). He has also authored two volumes of short stories and poetry collections. He regularly contributes to the magazines Segno and OperaViva Magazine. His writings have appeared in magazines such as Boîte, sdefinizioni, Roots§Routes, Titolo, Tracce, and undo.net. He currently teaches art history at the secondary school level.
MARIA GABRIELLA MAZZOLA
Aluminium Sector Manager
Running the company COMEL Industrie. with her brother Adriano and sister Luisa, she combines technical-business preparation with organizational and coordination skills, bringing the company new guidelines such as attention to communication, innovation and marketing. She has always supported, personally and with the company, cultural activities in favour of the territory and animal protection. In December 2012 Maria Gabriella received an award for entrepreneurial merits from the “Nuova Immagine Latina Cultural Association”. She is president of the “VANNA MIGLIORIN Cultural Association” which promotes contemporary intellectual and artistic works to the public, in all their forms and expressions. Among the various activities of the association, the promotion of the COMEL Award and the organization of monographic exhibitions dedicated to artists of international fame.
THE 13 FINALISTS
