The exhibition traces the 20 years of the eclectic artist’s career
The Macro just hosted, until August 25th, the first anthology dedicated to Elisabetta Benassi, a Roman artist born in 1966. “Self-portrait at work” traces over twenty years of career, with a rich selection of historical works of the early 2000s alongside recent works and three new productions made specifically for this exhibition.
Benassi is an eclectic artist who moves with ease between different languages, mediums, and imaginaries. Her research is characterized by a critical attention to the cultural, political, and artistic heritage of modernity. She does not limit herself to quoting history, but revives it in the present, creating a sort of “intrusion” to suggest an idea of time that is always paradoxical.
HER WORKS ARE OFTEN BORN IN RESPONSE TO SPECIFIC SITUATIONS, TEMPORALITIES AND PLACES
Convinced that exhibitions are crucial moments to articulate complex ideas, she chose to propose a reflection on the concept of retrospective. The exhibition is in fact a work of art in itself, a mise-en-scène created through a system of architecture and spaces arranged in space as theatrical backstages. Each modular structure houses an artwork, hiding it in part from the eyes of visitors. At the same time, it responds to the specific narrative and poetic intentions of the work, offering a new device of use. The works, often created in response to specific situations, temporalities, and places, acquire a new meaning within this new context.
HER RESEARCH IS CHARACTERIZED BY A CRITIQUE OF THE CULTURAL, POLITICAL AND ARTISTIC HERITAGE OF MODERNITY
The modular structures, covered with plaster panels that bear the traces of the materials that shaped them, assume the appearance of brutalist sculptures. This display—an artistic intervention in itself—redefines the conventional forms of the retrospective exhibition, inviting the audience to an immersive and engaging experience. This procedure, especially in the post-pandemic era, seems to have become common practice. I refer in particular to the various “experience” exhibitions in which the details of the most famous works of art are projected on the wall on a macroscopic scale.
MODULAR STRUCTURES PRESERVE THE TRACES OF THE MATERIALS THAT SHAPED THEM AND TAKE THE FORM OF BRUTALIST SCULPTURES
Elisabetta Benassi is an established artist on the international scene. Her work has been exhibited in numerous prestigious venues and institutions, including the Venice Biennale. Her solo exhibitions include “The Drowned World” in New York (2024), “Empire” at the Museo Nazionale Romano (2022), and “Lady and Gentlemen” at the Adolfo Pini Foundation in Milan (2021). “Self-portrait at work” therefore becomes an opportunity to discover one of the most interesting and original Italian authors of the contemporary panorama through her research, which reflects on time, memory, and the human condition in today’s world.
