GIULIA MANGONI: NAMBUR

curated by Cecilia Canziani and Ilaria Gianni

13 October - 25 November 2022

After Sempreverde/Evergreena walk in Isola del Liri last May, IUNO continues its investigation on wilderness presenting Nambur, an exhibition and workshop by GiuliaMangoni. The title of the exhibition refers to topinambur (Jerusalem Artichoke), a tuber that belongs to the culinary tradition of South America, commonly consumed in Europe as well. An invasive species, this plant has become part of the native Italian vegetation, adapting to places that, despite being different from the original habitat, proved to be suitable for its growth. The topinambur represents both a paradoxical alter ego of the artist, who grew up between Italy and Brazil, and a symbol of an untamable wilderness, capable of resetting geographical and cultural distances to reaffirm its transformative power over the world.
The tuber, along with other plant species such as the purple foxglove, serves as the starting point for the creation of a series of fantastical landscapes, generated by the merging of elements belonging to both the Brazilian natural context and the Ciociarian, the artist's homeland. The compositions, resulting from the associations between the fauna and flora of these places, appear so plausible as to suggest the actual coexistence (not only mental and emotional) of two geographically and culturally different worlds.
Alongside these works are the whistling elves.small-sized paintings depicting phytomorphic and anthropomorphic subjects drawn from the traditional iconography of Ciociarian whistles.
From the colorful vegetal background emerge small creatures, curious presences that not only inhabit the space of the painting but also spill over into the exhibition space in the form of objects. The artifacts on display, crafted by Ciociarian artisans, are therefore to be understood as material evidence of the imagination and tradition of this territory in which the artist resides.
Completano l’esposizione dei rilievi in creta posizionati sulle mensole di un vano chiuso da una porta vetrata; simili a ombre, le figure abitano gli scaffali di un mobile che ricorda quello della bottega di un artigiano, uno spazio adibito all’esposizione e alla conservazione dei pezzi più pregevoli della produzione. Il vetro ne rivela solo i contorni, occultandone i dettagli e gli ornamenti, connotandoli come immagini provenienti da una dimensione onirica. Pensate per essere solo parzialmente visibili, le opere costituiscono una sorta di anticipazione ai soggetti e ai temi che l’artista approfondirà nella sua prossima mostra presso Operativa.
During this period, two events will complement the investigation undertaken by by Giulia: a children's workshop designed as an introduction to some traditional practices and techniques of Ciociarian craftsmanship (Saturday, November 12, by reservation), and a walk through the wooded areas of Isola del Liri where Jerusalem artichokes will be gathered, followed by concluding the experience with a lunch featuring local products (Sunday, November 27, by reservation).

Testo critico: Giulia Gaibisso