Room 2: Massimo Bartolini and Francesca Grilli

A dialogue between works by Massimo Bartolini and Francesca Grilli will present a juxtaposition of sound, silence, freedom of speech, and censorship. 

1. About the Artist: Massimo Bartolini

In his multimedia works, Massimo Bartolini manipulates light, sound, smell, and architecture to create disorienting experiences. He is interested in experimenting with expectations, relativity, and assumptions of what is fixed versus in flux; these themes become metaphors for imagination, memory, nostalgia, and obsession. Bartolini has worked with a wide range of mediums, including sculpture, photography, and performance, but is perhaps best known for his immersive installations. Read more.

Images: Untitled (wave), 1997-2000, Courtesy: Massimo De Carlo Gallery Milan, Frith Street Gallery London, Magazzino Rome, Damelio Gallery New York; Portrait: Massimo Bartolini, Photo: Roberto Galasso.

2. About the Artist: Francesca Grilli

Francesca Grilli’s performances and installations are studies of technology, human interaction, and the experience of the passage of time. Grilli was originally trained in photography and graphic design, and early on made videos and photographs. The shift in her practice came naturally for the artist: “the transition from photography from performance is easy,” she has said. “I re-create moving images, still frames.” Many of Grilli’s performances either invite participation from the audience or are enacted by dancers or musicians. Read more.

Images: Oro, 2011, Photo: Alessandra Saviotti; Portrait: Francesca Grilli; Fe2O3, Ossido ferrico, 2013, Courtesy the artist, Photo: Alessandro Sala