Rossi & Rossi is delighted to present Stone Talk by celebrated Italian artist Elisa Sighicelli. Co-presented in partnership with the Italian Cultural Institute in Hong Kong, this will be her first solo exhibition in Asia. Stone Talk features a selection of photographs that scrutinize overlooked details of museum interiors and of artworks in a number of institution collections.
Known for her experimental approach in the medium of photography, Sighicelli probes into the materiality of photos and its effect on our way of seeing. Merging with materials that have different tactile properties and textures, her photographs analyze the ways in which reality reflects itself and often times appears to be made from the very substance it represents. In a world saturated with virtual images, the artist sets out to restore the palpable tangible existence of images in a physical space.
Sighicelli examines ancient statues such as Aphrodite and the Farnese Bull to investigate the representation of the body and its objectification, violence and desire.
The exhibition is going to be accompanied by a selection of ancient Roman steles and remnants in an attempt to foster a dialogue between antiquity and their reinterpretation through contemporary lenses across time and space. Elisa Sighicelli’s monograph, 9 Years published by Skira is also featured.
Exhibition period: 3 October – 14 November
Preview: Saturday 3 October coinciding with Southside Saturday; details to be announced
The exhibition is part of the Italia Mia Festival
Conversation with Artist Elisa Sighicelli:
Topic: Join artist Elisa Sighicelli and HKU Art History Professor Dr. Susanna McFadden as they consider their views on Roman art and culture.
Date: Saturday 7 November (coinciding with Southside Saturday)
Time: 4pm – 5pm (HK) / 9am – 10am (Italy)
Venue: Rossi & Rossi Gallery, 6 Yip Fat Street, 3/F Yally Industrial Building, Wong Chuk Hang
If you are unable to join in person, you can listen in on Zoom:
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/9684937982?pwd=emdMMm4zZkZNN3BCZ2dVMzhnYTJUdz09
Zoom ID: 968 493 7982
Password: talkstone
Rundown:
- Introduction from Fabio Rossi (5mins)
- Conversation between Elisa and Susanna (30mins)
- Open to Q&A (15mins)
Overview:
On the occasion of Elisa Sighicelli’s exhibition Stone Talk at Rossi & Rossi, please join the artist in conversation with Hong Kong University Art History Professor Dr. Susanna McFadden as they discuss their views on Roman art and culture.
Together they will also explore the idea of beauty in relation to the body in the Graeco-Roman world, as well as the materials used both in ancient times and the parallels seen in the contemporary works of Sighicelli.
Roman artists often employed art techniques such “trompe l’oeil” to deceive the viewer concerning the material reality of the object. This same idea can be applied to the works of Sighicelli as her experimental approach in the medium of photography often probes into the materiality of photos and its effect on our way of seeing, printed on varied materials including satin, travertine, plasterboard and marble depending on the subject matter.
About Elisa Sighicelli
Elisa Sighicelli (Italian, b.1968) is known for her installation-based studies of objects and their relationship to space. Born in Turin, Elisa lived in Brazil from the ages of five to eight. The experience of growing up in a diverse cultural environment influenced the exploratory nature of her work. Upon returning to Turin, she continued her education through high school, later moving to Florence where she studied Textile Design. The artist finished her undergraduate degree at Kingston University in London and received her Masters of Art at The Slade School of Fine Art.
Elisa has exhibited internationally and her works have also been shown in notable group exhibitions.
About Dr. Susanna McFadden
Dr. Susanna McFadden is a specialist in the art, architecture, and archaeology of the Greco-Roman and late antique Mediterranean, with a particular emphasis on the medium of wall painting. Prior to joining the faculty of Hong Kong University, she taught art and archaeology at Bryn Mawr College, Fordham University and the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. McFadden has authored several articles and book chapters on late Roman wall painting in Rome and Egypt. Her current book project focuses on the visual culture of late Roman Egypt and explores the spatial, ritual and material dynamics of wall paintings in the ancient Mediterranean at large.