LuogoArteContemporanea

This pictorial cycle, started at the end of 2022 and continued until the present moment, was born from Ariele Bacchetti's need to try his hand at new figurative, compositional and executive solutions which result in the elaboration of syncretic imaginaries in which East and West converge freely. He invites us to explore a unique artistic universe that gives us his very personal creative perspective.

The title rurōni - a term coined by Nobuhiro Watsuki at the end of the last century and derived from the fusion of the words rurō, «wanderer», and rōnin, «masterless samurai» - well represents the fantastic scenarios on display, populated by wandering warriors intent on facing bizarre and sometimes grotesque circumstances. The artist draws from the Japanese visual tradition, however departing from it to create suggestive contexts in which his characters act autonomously with respect to their cultural referents and independently of conventional codes. They, although inspired by feudal Japan, belong to a dimension beyond time and space, where their individual narrative is open to infinite interpretations.

The subjects of the paintings act as avatars in an imaginary quest in which spectators are encouraged to actively participate, constructing the plot of the events depicted. Art thus becomes an interactive experience that allows everyone to create their own version of the story.

The author combines curious elements in an unpredictable way, giving life to works that challenge expectations and open up to the unexplored. Mysterious presences meet and clash in evanescent apparitions, suspended in a supernatural atmosphere of Shintō inspiration effectively rendered through the skillful use of full and empty spaces and chromatic stratifications.

Ukiyo-e - a Japanese artistic genre born in the Edo period (1603-1868) - constitutes for Bacchetti a stimulus towards the research and development of a new system of spatial and anatomical representation which translates into works with notable visual impact and narrative involvement. This technique allows him to operate free from volumes, chiaroscuro tones and perspective rules, preferring the dematerialization of the figure and the use of colors dissimilar to the naturalistic data applied for homogeneous backgrounds. The variety of materials used also denotes the artist's experimental approach.

His paintings are a place of scenic improvisation where the subjects, similar to the actors of the kabuki theatre, are endowed with an intense expressive charge and a considered vital élan. The rapid pictorial gesture, together with the liveliness and dissonance of the colors used, gives dynamism to the scenes, recalling the practice of the storyboard in narrative composition - but also that of manga, to which the title of the exhibition refers (Nobuhiro Watsuki, 1994-1999, Rurōni Kenshin: Meiji kenkaku romantan, «Kenshin the Wanderer: Love Story of the Meiji Period Swordsman»). Each brushstroke traces the new chapter of an ongoing story and each character seems ready to embark on the next adventure.

The protagonist of this cycle is undoubtedly the samurai, a figure with an exotic charm, embodiment of the inviolable code of conduct of Bushidō, portrayed in deadly entanglements in an attempt to face antagonists and threats of different types. The fight symbolically represents the overcoming of one's limits, the conceptual pivot of the nucleus of works exhibited, configuring as a ritual of death and (artistic) rebirth in which blood becomes a symbol of transformation. In this climate of growing tension, defined through dramatic color combinations with an almost expressionist outcome, the fight emerges as an intensely erotic moment, an intimate experience of physical and emotional connection between the challengers. This contrast between eroticism and the violence of the clash generates an overwhelming atmosphere.

Ariele Bacchetti invites us to reflect on the power of art to create worlds and stories without time or boundaries, demonstrating how this can be a compelling journey where improvisation and experimentation are the keys to opening the doors to the unexpected.

 

～ Lisangela Perigozzo, 2023

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rurōni

Ariele Bacchetti's solo exhibition

curated by Lisangela Perigozzo

⚔︎ extended until 11 November ⚔︎

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Opening 

Saturday 7 October, 5 pm

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Guided tour with the artist

Friday 13 October, 5.30 pm

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The exhibition is visible at LuogoArteContemporanea by appointment.

Free entry.

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