SintesiSS9
In chemistry the process of synthesis commonly refers to the combination of parts or elements, so as to form a whole. Similarly Sintesi SS9 is for Vitturi a process of collection and assembling of fragments sourced along the entire Via Emilia, in the attempt to grasp the visual essence the area.
The observation of the street and the study of Ghirri’s work have been fundamental in shaping Vitturi’s practice. However Ghirri’s influence isn’t applied in its formal sense, partly due to the radical change of the context in which Ghirri used to operate: whereas he worked in a period of industrial development, Vitturi witnesses the effects of its decline, including closure and abandonment of industrial sheds and the arrival of new communities.
Instead of adopting Ghirri’s objective photographic approach, Vitturi employs his way of seeing: it is the intelligent observation, moving beyond the gaze, that makes Ghirri’s photographs able to present an ordinary and everyday environment, in an entirely different way.
Vitturi then observes the area, applying his multidisciplinary method which combines photography, sculpture, and assemblage, in the attempt to deconstruct a complex reality and make it visible through its materials and shapes.
In Sintesi SS9 Vitturi didn’t focus on a precise portion of the Via Emilia but explored the entire route, identifying its most iconic elements. During his exploration Vitturi persistently encounters architectural details such as the industrial shed and retail buildings and he presents them in fragments or in their entirety in his compositions. Most of the materials visible in the still life are sourced in these buildings: fabrics, plastic sheets, industrial debris as well as organic locally produced goods. Observing these materials gives a clear picture of the changes occurred in the area, and so Vitturi combines them together to show the complex nature of the Via Emilia.
Lorenzo Vitturi’s project is part of the group exhibition 2016. Nuove esplorazioni, curated by Diane Dufour, Elio Grazioli and Walter Guadagnini.