The second Italian solo show by Miroslaw Balka, created specifically for the spaces of the gallery, is inspired by the poetic suggestions of Paul Celan and in particular by the poem “Nature Morte”. The troubled existence of the Ukrainian poet, who lived in the shadow of the war in Romania under the Soviet invasion, attracted Balka’s attention. Like his poems, these new works by the Polish artist also stand out for their intense evocative quality, difficulty in interpretation and extraordinary suggestion.
The second Italian solo show by Miroslaw Balka, created specifically for the spaces of the gallery, is inspired by the poetic suggestions of Paul Celan and in particular by the poem “Nature Morte”. The troubled existence of the Ukrainian poet, who lived in the shadow of the war in Romania under the Soviet invasion, attracted Balka’s attention. Like his poems, these new works by the Polish artist also stand out for their intense evocative quality, difficulty in interpretation and extraordinary suggestion.
“Bougies avec les bougies, scintillances avec les scintillantes, luers avec lueurs. Et ici en dessous, ceci: un oeil./dépareillé et couls.” Just like this, Miroslaw Balka lights up our eyes and hearts with new flashes, with iron-feeling lights, with luminous“ holes ”of memory. Paradoxically, the demiurge artist calms and softens (schmerzstillend) the pains of the world with his austere and poor materials. The wood and metal of the sculptures are only apparently in contrast with the lightness of the video projections, the fixed works alternating with installations to live and walk on, which produce deaf and hard sounds and contrast with the rhythm of popular Polish lullabies.
In recent years, the moving image and sound have become increasingly important for Balka and play a crucial role in releasing magnetic flux effects. The artist uses the video, also a personal notebook, incorporating it into the works as a natural extension of three-dimensional objects
