Material Metamorphosis: The Alchemy of Objects, Clay, and Paint
Sabino de Nichilo, Arvin Golrokh, Luis Gomez de Teran, Thorsten Kirchhoff, Alessandro Procaccioli, Tania Welz, Anna Zanichelli
Inauguration: Thursday, January 23, 2025, 5pm – 8.30pm
Exhibition dates: 23 January – 28 February 2025
Montoro 12 Gallery is pleased to present Material Metamorphosis: The Alchemy of Objects, Clay and Paint, a thought-provoking exhibition that explores the transformative power of materials through the creative process. This exhibition brings together a diverse group of international artists experimenting with unconventional materials and techniques to create unique and fascinating works of art. Alchemy has always played an important part in the history of art, both as science and philosophy – the quest for transmutation of metal into gold is a parallel to the philosophical / spiritual quest for enlightenment. Material Metamorphosis showcases the alchemical process of transforming basic raw materials into something new and unexpected, often with surprising results.
Sabino de Nichilo (1972, Molfetta (BA), Italy, lives and works in Rome) manipulates raw clay into organic, fleshy, tubular forms in which cavities breathe. The artist is interested in the constant transformation of material, and even when burnt and finished, the works are changeable, resembling various inner organs, free of bodily or cultural constrictions. Abominal, vile body parts and imperfections transform into lustrious and colorful ceramic sculptures. Inert masses become vital and revolutionary “beings.” Alvin Golrokh (1992, Teheran, Iran, lives and works between Teheran and Turin) explores the tension between his experiences in Iran and the Western world. He examines the use of propaganda through imagery and the erasure of historical and cultural memory to control the collective imagination. Golrokh contrasts this by creating art that reawakens suppressed memories and historical truths. Through a painterly language that is richly material and intensely dramatic, the works of his new series intertwine the sacred and the profane, inviting critical reflection on collective beliefs. Luis Gomez de Teran (1980, Caracas, Venezuela, currently lives and works in Rome) is best known for his mural paintings, but has recently started to create intensely symbolic oil paintings on board, drawing inspiration from Baroque paintings such as Rembrandt and Caravaggio. His favorite theme is the human body, both in beauty and decay, and what transpires from the human souls in the instants in which right emerges from wrong and good from evil. His attentive e technique exposes strong contrasts of light and dark, beauty and horror, life and death. Thorsten Kirchhoff (1960, Copenhagen, Denmark, lives and works in Rome) explores the nature of two dimensionality as it relates to film, reality and image making, often pushing and pulling his paintings – which take film stills or photographs as their basis – into three dimensional sculptural forms. Kirchhoff’s practice generally revolves around black and white paintings, often on unconventional material, such as headphone foams or burlap. Alessandro Procaccioli (1978, Latina, Italy) works in a variety of media, often inspired by literature. In his work Bye Bye Tombo, inspired by the short story The Two Maids by Tommaso Landolfi, he questions good and bad, instinct, religion and blasphemy. Tania Welz’s (born in Munich, Germany, lives and works in Rome, Italy) series “Chrysopoeia” (meaning transmutation into gold), is in fact inspired by the ancient art of alchemy, turning jute, gauze and linen into copper. The ordinary fabric is molded and manipulated, subsequently submerged in a copper sulfate solution and exposed to a slow process of mineralization, during which the fabric absorbs the copper, gradually morphing into a unique piece of metallic art. combining artistry and chemistry in a process reminiscent of alchemical practices. Anna Zanichelli (1992, Reggio Emilia, Italy, lives and works in Brussels) transforms abandoned materials of previous human activity such as plastic and other transparent materials into innovative works of art. The alchemical process always includes the notion of time: Zanichelli painstakenly assembles these discarded fragments manually until they come to life.
Material Metamorphosis invites viewers to witness the alchemical process of transformation—where the mundane becomes extraordinary. The show highlights how artists can evoke new meanings and narratives by manipulating base materials in unexpected ways.