News - November 13, 2009

Studio Arts lecture gives students a close up look at contemporary art in Italy

Studio Art students at SU Florence recently had the privilege of meeting two important figures in the world of contemporary Italian art: Paola Bortolotti, a well-known critic of contemporary art, and Giacomo Costa, an Florentine artist currently exhibiting work at the Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition.

Bortolotti introduced students to this year’s Biennale, in particular to the Italian Pavilion, and presented artwork from some of the participating Italian artists. She then introduced Giacomo Costa, an artist who has exhibited extensively in Italy, Europe and the United States. Costa shared his life story and explained how he became interested in art, from his beginnings as a successful photographer to his change in medium in 1996: Costa now creates intricate, imaginary 3D urban landscapes rich with meticulous detail and intricate perspective using a combination of computer programs.

Costa said that his work comes from his subconscious, as well as from dreams, memories of his childhood, and his everyday experiences as a volunteer for the Italian Red Cross. He presented many of his detailed and compelling 3D design pieces, including “Private Garden,” a series of works on display now at the Biennale in the Italian Pavilion.

Said Lauren Romanazzi, SU, “I enjoyed learning how Costa went from being a biker to mountain climber to artist! It was fascinating to hear him talk about his art. As a student attending the presentation, I enjoyed getting to know an Italian artist and how art has impacted his life. This was also a great opportunity for me to learn about a style of art that I was not familiar with before.”

Bortolotti noted that the architect Sir Norman Foster, in his introduction to the recent monograph tracing Costa’s work from 1996 to present day (The Chronicles of Time, Damiani ed, June 2009), wrote, “"The images of Giacomo Costa are like the ruins of a lost civilization that could be our own. With this powerful vision, we  remember the fragility of our artificial world and the civic conditions which have  supported it until now."

Notes Romanazzi, “The lecture by Bortolotti and Costa was a great preparation for the Studio Arts trip to the Biennale following the lecture. It was fantastic to see work in such an impressive setting by an artist I had so recently met on campus.”