VINCENT SCALI: «The Leaf in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction»Vincent ScaliExhibition: «The Leaf in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction».
For his second exhibition at SIT DOWN gallery, Vincent Scali has chosen to refer to the text written by Walter Benjamin « The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”. The artist goes back to his favourite source of inspiration: the leaves, that he multiplies and reproduces in bronze, tempered in gold.
This summer, Vincent Scali’s leaves will fly to the medieval city of Beaucaire in Provence, where they will be shown from July 15th , in the courtyard of an eighteen-century convent located in the heart of the city.
Some of his works will also be exhibited at AP’art (Alpilles-Provence’art), the international contemporary art festival that will take place for the first time at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and in the Alpilles, from July 8th to 13th, 2010.
From May the 20th to June the 26th, 2010 Gallery SIT DOWN – 4 rue Sainte Anastase – 75003 Paris From July the 8th to July the13th, 2010 Ap’Art (at Saint Rémy de Provence) From July the 15th to August the 29th, 2010 Beaucaire: 8, rue Arceau de l’Avenir – 30300 Beaucaire
“Vincent Scali is a strange man. His work, original and uncommon, tries to cover the tracks. When he produces a set of leaves melted down in bronze, that seem to come out of the wall, he punches holes in them. Nobody knows what the holes mean: are they due to a sickness, such as Seveso, to the results of a lack of due care, or to the activity of someone who wanted to “take it out” on the leaves? Vincent’s humour varies according to the circumstances: he goes this way and comes back that way. His humour is displayed in such mask of bronze or in such cast of a catalpa leaf, that is staring at you with its taxidermist’s eyes just like some Pre-Colombian sculpture that would prevent you from sleeping in your own room. Here, he confronts himself to his self-portrait, locking up a simple photo booth of his slightly anxious face into a laboratory bottle filled with water – despite his immersion in that small bottle, Vincent seems to be in full possession of his abilities. There, on a square carpet made out of bay leaves, the artist has engraved in a majestic typography: Into the bargain. This sentence, admitting of several meanings, makes us wonder whether the artist is making fun of the rules of property concerning nature, or whether he is amusing himself with our ancestors’ monochrome – it is up to each of us to decide what we read. Over there, you will find a waterfall composed of six leaves, each carrying a word. The whole piece displays a sentence written by Bernanos in “Sous le soleil de Satan”: “Thus, weeks succeeded to weeks”. This is a funny way of structuring time. Thus, a false eclecticism reigns over Scali’s work, forcing us to look at each piece more carefully. One then adjusts the pieces of the puzzle to rebuild the image of a disparate and yet consistent work. Vincent Scali enjoys playing with the scales, the materials and the texts he uses and misuses. His contagious mischief makes us enter his playfull universe.“ Cyrille Putman, writer, March 2010 |