FOCUS ON
Francesca Banchelli, Terra Incognita
Ayşen Kaptanoğlu, A still – Volcano – Life
Mariana Palma, The Vanity of the Caged Bird
Vistamare is pleased to present Focus on. A series of projects that, in conjunction with the regular gallery program in Milan, invite artists to create new site specifics works specially conceived for the gallery space.
This year, we are pleased to present three projects by three young female artists who explore classical pictorial themes in a refreshing way. Francesca Banchelli, Ayşen Kaptanoğlu and Mariana Palma question the different representation systems of nature and the body in their work. Their practices echo each other in the different rooms of the gallery, constructing a strong imagery and narrative that connects the personal to the political. The exhibition features a combination of mesmerizing still life, graphic scènes de genre, and surreal landscapes populated with uncanny figures.
In the central space, Brazilian artist Mariana Palma greets visitors with a large installation made of photographs printed on veil and suspended from the glass ceiling. These works, as well as her cyanotypes, depict natural elements such as dried leaves, plants, animals and fruits in various stages of decomposition, lying on a layer of dust the artist collected during the first year of the pandemic. With a strong reference to the vanitas painting, this mise en scène serve as an organic memento mori to prove the ephemerality of life, mixing symbols of transience and death. In her works Palma creates optical illusions by layering subjects and techniques, resulting in a blending of colors that leads the viewer’s eye to the center of the composition.
In the right room, Turkish artist Ayşen Kaptanoğlu presents a series of paintings recently completed at the Rijskakademie in Amsterdam. In her work Kaptanoğlu tries to pictorially translate a cri de coeur against women violence in a male-dominant society. Through her personal experience and memory, she explores the themes of loss, alienation, the oppression of marginalized groups, power dynamics, sexuality and gender, by investigating the origins of violence and the traditional structures that perpetuate it. Although Kaptanoğlu’s paintings are vibrant and colorful, the underlying narratives often convey a powerful message.
Francesca Banchelli‘s paintings, presented in the left room, offer a glimpse into dreamlike realms where various living creatures coexist with natural objects. These ethereal images along with inanimate objects, serve as mirrors for self-reflection. Through her works, Banchelli invites us to perceive reality in a way that heightens our awareness of the intricate relationships we share on a physical, emotional and psychological level. At the heart of the artist’s work is the exploration of the complexity of the human experience and of the time that acts as a balance between the self and the world.
Francesca Banchelli (Montevarchi, 1981) works with painting, performance, sculpture, video and installations, creating imaginaries where different beings coexist. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence (2007) and from Central Saint Martins in London (2010). Her works were displayed in many institutions, among which Triennale Milano (2023-24) Museo Novecento, Florence (2020), Centro Pecci, Prato (2019), MACBA, Barcelona (2015), TATE Modern, London (2014). She lives and works in Reggello.
Ayşen Kaptanoğlu (Istanbul, 1985) works with painting and animation to investigate power dynamics, sexuality, gender and violence. She graduated from the Wackers Academy in Amsterdam (2021) and is currently a resident at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam. Her works are currently on show at the Amsterdam Museum. She lives and works in Amsterdam.
Mariana Palma (São Paulo, 1979) works approach the intersection of materials of different nature, allowing a crossing of colors and compositions. She graduated in Fine Arts from Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado – FAAP (2001). She exhibited her work in MON – Museo Oscar Niemeyer, Curitiba (2023), Palácio das Artes, Belo Horizonte (2021), Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, USA (2015). She lives and works in São Paulo.