XYZT ~ A TOTEM CRUSADE
Edoardo Dionea Cicconi
XYZT Pt78 ATZ
“kinetic mirror”
2022
200 x 50 x 15 cm
metal, mirror, electronics
Text by Maria Abramenko
Castles, throughout the centuries, were known as magic spots connected to rituals and the occult. Edoardo’s work brings to mind the world of the devoted visitors and practitioners of the occult. Just the thought of what used to occur between these Medieval walls is not only intriguing; it can leave one wondering forever.
On this occasion, Dionea is showing his XYZT kinetic series at Castle of Rocca Calascio, Italy.
From solo shows at MuMe museum’s Caravaggio room, to Museo Branciforte in Palermo, to name a few, the artist is continuing his totem’s crusade.
These so-called ‘non-places’ have always played a fundamental role in Dionea’s practice. In fact, the installation of every work is totally absorbing the energy of its surroundings.
The landscapes and locations often become a whole with his artwork.
Edoardo’s kinetic totems make me feel like Agent Cooper from Twin Peaks, every time I stand in front of them. One expects to see their real self but sees only movement and distortion. It is an unsettling as well as exciting feeling. Those artworks, as in Jungian dreams, are there to draw out a parallel world of one’s subconscious. Since the very beginning of his career, Edoardo won’t stop talking about the fundamental role of science and metaphysics in his creations. This interest is one of the reasons he is so devoted to choosing those specific locations for his shows.
Edoardo has specially chosen Rocca’s 1,500-meter high castle (the highest in Europe) as a site of magic. Abruzzo, where the castle is built, is well known for its medieval forts and castles, which have many times served as sets for cinema, for example the film adaption of Umberto Eco’s “The Name of the Rose” and “Ladyhawke”. The cinematic and ambitious scope of this work is well-matched to Dionea’s vision.
This installation will be followed with a solo show in London at the CADOGAN gallery in June 2022.
A Totem Crusade
19th March 2022 – (xxx)
Rocca Calascio (AQ), Italy
An incredible experience at a height of 1460mt (4,790ft). A collective ritual with 100 people involved.
All of this was possible thanks to the vision of Jacopo Pizzicannella and the “picnic affair”. The institutions, the sponsors and the staff involved.
But nothing was really possible without love.
Thank you!
The “XYZT” series
The installation is a sculpture with a mirrored surface on the front. The surface of the mirror, straight and sharp, has a peculiarity: at times it reflects reality by distorting it. The image flexes and then returns to its initial appearance. The work moves, catching the viewer – whose image becomes distorted, disappears, and then reappears – by surprise.
Influenced by contemporary physics, such as Carlo Rovelli, Edoardo Dionea Cicconi’s research attempts to summarise the concepts of space and time and to establish a dialogue between the phases of time (past, present and future) and their changes. Viewers will “disappear” and blend in with the surrounding space.
Like a sort of black hole, where everything becomes dense inside and where, even today, no one knows where this totality will end up.
