The fourth appointment at the t-space X MAO is dedicated to the artist Massimo Grimaldi (Taranto, 1974) and his video installation MONOGATARI, produced by Snaporazverein in collaboration with Zero..., Milan.
The work consists of the projection, on two paired screens, of the photographic report made in Japan between 2017 and 2018, where the artist lived for a few months thanks to the award On Demand by Snaporazverein. During his stay in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, Grimaldi was able to deepen his knowledge of a culture which he feels very close, especially regarding its formal rigor and symbolic structures.
In open contrast with the title, the video installation MONOGATARI (in Japanese 物語, literally 'story') does not want to tell a story, but rather to make visible the intimate bond existing with a place - and with the people who live there - when all the assumptions about knowledge and understanding are finally overcome.
The video installation is enriched by the presence in the exhibition space of the ikebana artist Nami Kodama who, by superimposing her silhouette on the projected images, refracts and further stratifies its perception.
MASSIMO GRIMALDI (Taranto, 1974) is an Italian artist who lives and works in Milan. His practice investigates the nature of what we conventionally call "art", the way in which it is perceived, evaluated and understood. His artistic research is a continuous interrogation on the criteria of the production and circulation of images, on the power and limits of the aesthetic speculation, on the possibility of its ethical redefinition. Among his solo exhibitions: Castello di Rivoli, Turin (2009); Museum of Villa Croce, Genoa (2012); Team Gallery, New York (2011/2013); West, The Hague (2014); ZERO..., Milan (2006/2010/2013/2017/2019/2022). His works have also been presented in numerous group exhibitions, including Italics at Palazzo Grassi, Venice, and MCA, Chicago (2008-2009), and the 50th Venice Biennale (2003). In 2009 Grimaldi won the MAXXI 2per100 international competition, using the prize for the construction of the EMERGENCY Pediatric Center in Port Sudan.
As usual, in the t-space, visitors can sip a cup of tea selected by Claudia Carità (The Tea Torino) who has chosen for the occasion a Genmaicha green tea. Genmaicha or 'brown rice tea' is made from green tea and toasted rice. It is also colloquially known as "people's tea", as rice served as a filler and reduce the price of tea, making it more affordable for destitute Japanese people. Chosen as a drink during periods of fasting, tea and rice were combined in a 1:1 ratio. Today genmaicha is universally appreciated and the success of this tea is also the response to the inspiration of the producers who manage to modulate the aromatic complexity of the final infusion by choosing among the best qualities of green tea and rice, or by adding matcha to obtain the expression of the umami in the cup.
For the loan of the video installation we wish to thank SNAPORAZVEREIN, Samaden (CH), and ZERO…, Milan
Free admission.
