Gabriele Di Matteo
dal 26/1/2005 al 26/2/2005
Segnalato da
26/1/2005
Gabriele Di Matteo
Gallery 101, Ottawa
In a time of great natural disasters, war, civil unrest, and socio-political conflict in various parts of the world, 'La Nuda Umanita' 2 - History Stripped Bare 2', by the Italian artist, is a timely exhibition that questions notions of heroism and progress and explores the power of icons, images and mass media in the portrayal of history. The show comprises 160 paintings (oil on canvas), each measuring 30 x 40 centimetres, which present selected moments in the history of the Western World
Gallery 101's International Programming fosters global connections and
relevancy to our local and national Canadian experience, and works to
assert the strength and impact of contemporary art to address and
provide different perspectives about critical matters that affect our
lives.
In a time of great natural disasters, war, civil unrest, and
socio-political conflict in various parts of the world, "La Nuda
Umanità 2 - History Stripped Bare 2", by Italian artist Gabriele Di
Matteo, is a timely exhibition that questions notions of heroism and
progress and explores the power of icons, images and mass media in the
portrayal of history. In addition to exploring the trustworthiness of
images, their reproduction and their interpretation, this exhibition
utilizes the physical vulnerability of its characters. Evoked through
their nakedness, they confront the grandeur of historic events and
raise complexities about the place of historical truth and collective
memory.
This exhibition comprises 160 paintings (oil on canvas), each
measuring 30 x 40 centimetres, which present selected moments in the
history of the Western World, from the prehistoric days of the
Neanderthal Man, to the Assassination of Julius Caesar to Christopher
Columbus Discovers America to The Marriage of Prince Charles and Lady
Diana. These uniformly sized paintings are hung salon-style and
arranged chronologically. In addition to the paintings, a
documentary-style video of the commercial painter – commissioned by Di
Matteo to create the paintings - is also part of the exhibition.
Four new paintings depicting scenes from Canadian history have been
specially made for Di Matteo's Canadian debut, and include: 1918
suffragettes Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards and Louise McKinney;
John Lennon and Yoko Ono with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, December
22, 1969; The Signing of the Constitution Act of 1982, with Queen
Elizabeth II signing the official proclamation outside the parliament
buildings with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau beside her; and a protest
scene during the Quebec Referendum of 1995.
The publication, Gabriele Di Matteo: Å’vres 1986-2002 which
accompanies this exhibition contains a wide range of illustrations
showing the artist's work presented in chronological order. Different
aspects are examined in the accompanying essays, providing a portrait
of a most singular contemporary artist.
ARTIST TALK Thursday, January 27 at 5:30pm
OPENING AND PUBLICATION LAUNCH Thursday, January 27 at 7:30pm
Admission is free and open to the public.
For more information or to receive images, please contact Jessie Lacayo at 613.230.2799
GALLERY 101
236, rue Nepean Street, Ottawa ON K2P 0B8
Opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-5pm.
Gallery 101 gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council
for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Ottawa, our patrons, members, and volunteers.