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Verona Kunst

Artistic Practice. Analysis

According to Bruno Latour, one of the main characteristics of the image is his ability to unleash an emotional response in the observer that - over the centuries - it has evolved to the point of coinciding with the destruction of the image itself.
Max Mondini, Scalfire la Surface, 2023, Exhibition view at In Habitat APS. Curated by Edoardo Durante, Ph: Filippo Tommasoli

Analysis of the artistic practice of Max Mondini
This iconoclastic trend – often the result of hatred and fanaticism – consider the image as a real battleground. Today more than ever we are witnessing the continuation destruction and consequent reconstruction, production, veneration of the image, like this as an „artistic object“. A kind of creative destruction triggered by a seemingly endless process. The artistic research of Max Mondini (1990) moves within a condition characterized by that continuous and inexorable flow of images that somehow it overwhelms, disorients and at the same time masks their true meaning. Drawing to a large archive of iconographic sources, the artist moves on the borderline between figuration and abstraction, between objectivity and freedom of interpretation. Through a creative process which sees as a starting point a system of pre-existing images, Mondini reworks the compositional systems and comes into contact with the emotionality and sensitivity of those these images he originally created, deconstructing and recontextualizing shapes and signs.

The end result is a coherent formal universe, not immediately understandable and which therefore requires in-depth reflection. The works beyond the concept of interpretation – they are conceived as real activators visual, sensory, which trigger emotional responses – sometimes unconscious – in the mind of who watches them. Through the digital medium – constant starting point for his artistic praxis – abstract or anamorphic compositions at first impact, manifesting themselves they disorient and simultaneously offer specific coordinates useful for understanding of the works themselves.

On the occasion of Scalfire la Surface – personal exhibition that develops inside of the exhibition spaces of In Habitat (Verona association of social promotion born in 2021 which offers planning, start-up and development services for cultural activities) until 30 June 2023 – Max Mondini presents 6 unpublished and site-specific works. The constant dialogue with the surrounding environment and in particular the architecture of the space is a fundamental component to his work, which aims to establish a close relationship between work, artist, site and public.

Great wallpapers serve as natural extension of the work itself, dissecting elements of the composition artistic reinterpreted and conceived by Mondini himself, who insists on the exhibition possibilities of a two-dimensional surface. The works address the thought of the observer without directing him towards any one conclusion, speak referring to the sensitivity of those who – with their gaze – are kidnapped with shapes, shades and weaves skilfully calibrated by the artist. The activators by Max Mondini ignite a charge of emotion in the eyes of the public and tension, typical of the artist and of the culture to which he himself belongs.


Max Mondini (Parma, 1990)
Artist and Art Advisor, in 2015 he became Office Manager of Studio Alberto Garutti, resuming his exhibition activity in 2017. He has participated in exhibitions and residencies in galleries, independent spaces and museums, among which we mention: Palazzo della Triennale di Milano, Villa Croce Museum, Luigi Pecci Center for Contemporary Art, Florence Tobacco Factory, Eduardo Secci Gallery, Monza Biennale, Volta Space, Estuary Project. He won the award for best emerging artist at the 2021 Talent Prize and the special mention at the Carapelli for Art 2020.

Edoardo Durante (Genoa, 1996)
Curator attentive to the contemporary art scene, he has developed a particular interest in video and digital art and artistic practices that intertwine science, art and technology. He has a degree in Conservation of Cultural Heritage and, after attending a year in the United States at N.K.U, he specialized in Visual Cultures and Curatorial Practices at the Academy of Fine Arts in Brera. In addition to having curated national and international exhibitions, he collaborates on a regular basis with The Collector Magazine.

In Habitat APS
In Habitat is a social promotion association based in Verona that offers planning, start-up and business development services cultural. He deals with research, curatorship and coordination of cultural projects, from the planning phase to the monitoring of results, from goal setting to community engagement. In Habitat aps he bases his work on a strong ethical sharing and of values, in order to plan long-term synergies and encourage innovation in the artistic, cultural and social fields.

Max Mondini – www.maxmondini.weebly.com, www.instagram.com/maxmondiniartist