Ascoli Piceno is set to host a captivating exhibition titled “Ma sedendo e mirando. L’intruso” [But Sitting and Aiming. The Intruder] by the acclaimed artist Luca Bertolo, winner of the prestigious fourth edition of the Premio Osvaldo Licini by Fainplast. Running from December 14, 2024, to May 4, 2025, at the Galleria d’Arte Contemporanea Osvaldo Licini, this exhibition invites viewers to pause, observe, and reflect on the complex interplay between the observer and the observed.
Upon entering the first room, visitors are drawn to a Mirino that frames a painted Angel in the next space. The mirrored eyes of the angel do not merely observe; they reflect the viewer’s image, inverting the roles of observer and observed. This installation fosters both physical and contemplative exploration, guiding guests toward a gradual understanding of the complete artwork.
This visual exchange introduces the central theme of the exhibition: the relationship between the observer and the observed, the subject and the object of observation. Standing before the Mirino, visitors feel as though they have crossed an invisible threshold into the private, creative realm of the artist, highlighting a symbolic distance between the viewer and the artwork. What the angel perceives is never quite the same as what we see in ourselves.
Bertolo’s angel visually recalls Lorenzo Lotto’s “Ritratto di giovane uomo” [Portrait of a young man] 1509-1510), a piece previously reinterpreted by Giulio Paolini in 1967 with “Giovane che guarda Lorenzo Lotto,” which flips the observer-observed dynamic. Bertolo’s interpretation introduces significant variations: the mirrored eyes converge celestial and earthly gazes, making the viewer an integral part of the artwork.
The tension between the sacred and the profane is further underscored by the work of Jacopo Benassi, who has been invited by Bertolo to share the exhibition. Benassi presents a self-portrait focusing on a detail of his own body: hair. This raw and earthly element starkly contrasts with the purity and modesty of Bertolo’s angel, resulting in a symbolic clash between the divine and the ideal versus the human and the real. This dialogue encourages visitors to contemplate the intricate relationships between spirituality and corporeality.
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