“La Danseuse obsèdante 3”

On view through July 8, 2009

The Italian Cultural Institute  hosts an exhibition of the Florentine architect, sculptor and multimedia artist Giampaolo di Cocco. The theme of the exhibition and site specific installation “La Danseuse obsèdante 3” derives  from a 1911 painting  by the futurist artist Gino Severini .

Giampaolo di Cocco was born in 1947 in Florence, where he studied architecture and graduated in 1974. Beginning in 1973 he had his first group and solo exhibitions in Florence and later in many European cities, showcasing his  various painting techniques.

In 1977 he founded the magazine ABACO and collaborated to cultural   magazines, such as  “Alfabeta” and “Professione Architetto”.

From  1983 to 1987  Dicocco attended   the Design Polytechnic of Cologne; since  then he turned to sculpture creating a series of big size works, objects such as  boats, planes and  submarines, displayed as wrecks in relationship with unusual, provocative spaces .

The connection between these spaces and objects produced a strong wonder effect; drawing the attention of the art critics. To these series belong “Olympia-Zeppelin III and “Trivial-Catalina II ”at Villa Romana, Florence in 1992  to name a few.

As an architect specialized in town planning, in 2000 he began to work on  an installation for  the Deutsche Bank`s Park in Duisburg-Homberg. The project called “Car-Naval/He 111” is still to be completed.

Among the many prominent  art critics who reviewed Giampaolo di Cocco`s works, Pierre Restany wrote:

“di Cocco’s world is one of  gentle apocalypse, which keeps alive the essential  components of an existential poem through its explosive drama. Such a vision corresponds to our present condition: we are trying to find elements of a  new truth within the chaos of lost values.

Giampaolo di Cocco’s wrecks are both human and humanistic works of art.

 The most obvious sign of the sculptor’s humanistic awareness lies in the accurate  balance between the sculpture and its environment. The placing of these intrusive beasts within a daily context is a spectacular message of faith in and love for the truth of art,  which is in the strength of vital energy.

Will this truth saves us from the present chaos? The artist believes  so and we must congratulate him for this act of great responsibility”.  
The opening will be held at the Italian Cultural Institute on June 17 at 6pm