31 May 2017

'a due', Alberto Scodro and Paul De Vree at the Italian Cultural Institute, Brussels

'a due'. Arte Contemporanea in Italia e Belgio, 1990-2015 ('in twos'. Contemporary Art in Italy and Belgium, 1990-2015), conceived and curated by Laura Viale and Maria Elena Minuto for the Italian Cultural Institute in Brussels, is a project that originated from the idea of creating a dialogue between a series of Italian and Belgian artists who have emerged since the 1990s up to the latest generations.

With a cycle of appointments that will continue until the end of 2018, 'a due' hosts exhibitions, performances and encounters that highlight the relationships between artists coming from different cultures, experiences and generations. Each Italian invites a Belgian to exhibit and create a relationship of affinity or contrast.

From November 2015 to January 2017 the following pairs of artists exhibited their works: Davide Bertocchi (Modena, 1969) and Joris Van de Moortel (Ghent, 1983), Enrico Gaido (Turin, 1971) and Freek Wambacq (Brussels, 1978), Margherita Moscardini (Donoratico, 1981) and Futurefarmers (Belgium-USA, a collective founded in 1995), Laura Viale (Turin, 1967) and Stijn Cole (Ghent, 1978), Raffaella Crispino (Naples, 1979) e Hans Demeulenaere (Ostend, 1974).

Hermetic and full of elements creating tension in the space surrounding them, Alberto Scodro's installations and sculptures in multiple materials interpret in this exhibition the eclectic works of Paul De Vree, artist, concrete and visual poet as well as father of Flemish sound poetry. Cime e Terre (Scodro, 2017), a homage to the 1971 work by the Belgian artist with the same title, is a large tapestry whose refined warp in wool, nylon and polyester represents an enigmatic staircase and some vine leaves, emblems of a dimension which is both near and far, alive and lost at the same time. Just like the title of the exhibition, they too subtly allude to the cycle of life and its continuous dialectic movement of ascent and descent, birth and rebirth. The exhibition also contains a series of paintings (Maskers, 1972), watercolours (Oologica Belgica, 1945-1967), films (Essentieel, 1964; Mijn Evanaaste, 1963) and artists' books representing De Vree's multifaceted research on words focusing on their literal, visual, sound and performative nature.


Alberto Scodro (Marostica, 1984) has been a resident artist at the RAVI in Liège (2016), the HIAP in Helsinki (2014) and at the Bevilacqua la Masa Foundation in Venice (2009-2010). His most recent solo exhibitions include: Eocene, Car DRDE Gallery, Bologna, 2017; Lago nella punta dell'ago, MAG Museum, Riva del Garda, Trento, 2015; The sight couldn't be any better, Augusta Gallery, Suomelinna, Helsinki, 2014; Spannung, Viafarini, Milan, 2013; Floating Tonalite Stone, Villa Dalegno, Brescia, 2012; Alberto Scodro, Agricultural Centre, Beijing, 2010. Among his group exhibitions: Won't you not see?, Maison Gregoire, Brussels, 2015; Person in Less, Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation, Turin, 2010.

Paul De Vree (Antwerp, 1909-1982) was a visual artist and pioneer of european Concrete Poetry. In Belgium he founded and directed the avant-garde literary magazines De Tafelronde (1953-1982) and Vers Univers (1966-1967), in Italy he was the editor of Lotta Poetica (1971-1975) and Factotum-Art (1977-1979) in collaboration with the Italian poet Sarenco. His main solo and group exhibitions include: Neonlicht, M HKA, Antwerp, 2012; Opere di Paul De Vree nelle collezioni Italiane, Rocca di Umbertide, Perugia, 2004; Poesia Totale. 1897-1997, Palazzo della Ragione, Mantua, 1998; Paul De Vree, CC Hasselt, 1981; 20 jaar de Tafelronde, Internationaal Cultureel Centrum, Antwerp, 1975; Paul De Vree: Poesia Visiva, KMSKA, Antwerp, 1974; Sound Texts Concrete Poetry Visual Texts, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 1970.


'a due'. Arte Contemporanea in Italia e Belgio, 1990-2015 is a project by Laura Viale (Turin, 1967), artist, and Maria Elena Minuto (Rome, 1981), Ph.D., art historian and independent writer. Both currently live and work in Brussels.


With the kind support of:
M HKA, Antwerp
Fondazione Bonotto, Molvena, Italy
Bonotto SpA, Molvena, Italy