Natura morta, 1990

Galvanized sheet and steel
250 × 120 × 250 cm
The XLIV Venice Biennale

Umberto Cavenago’s participation in the XLIV Venice Biennale was characterized by an installation with three large frames resting and not hanging on the walls: “Paesaggio marino”, 1990 Galvanized sheet metal and steel 450 × 120 × 250 cm; "Natura morta", 1990 Galvanized sheet and steel 250 × 120 × 250 cm; "Ritratto", 1990 Galvanized sheet and steel 1480 × 120 × 250 cm. Equipped with wheels on the support points, which allowed them to slide on the wall, they delimited the “painting spaces”. A reflection that concerned the empty space inside the frames, where the paintings should have been conventionally.

The genres of painting
The frames are empty; only by virtue of their proportions do they allude to traditional artistic genres: the square-format one, Still Life, alludes to the classical measure of the subject; the horizontal one to the proportions of the landscape; the narrow and elongated one to the Full-length Portrait.
Still Life establishes a relationship with the square format of traditional painting, only to sabotage it with its absence.
The imaginary still life overlaps with what is framed in each exhibition occasion.
Photo © A. Zambianchi

Natura morta, 1990

Galvanized sheet and steel
250 × 120 × 250 cm
The XLIV Venice Biennale

Umberto Cavenago’s participation in the XLIV Venice Biennale was characterized by an installation with three large frames resting and not hanging on the walls: “Paesaggio marino”, 1990 Galvanized sheet metal and steel 450 × 120 × 250 cm; "Natura morta", 1990 Galvanized sheet and steel 250 × 120 × 250 cm; "Ritratto", 1990 Galvanized sheet and steel 1480 × 120 × 250 cm. Equipped with wheels on the support points, which allowed them to slide on the wall, they delimited the “painting spaces”. A reflection that concerned the empty space inside the frames, where the paintings should have been conventionally.

The genres of painting
The frames are empty; only by virtue of their proportions do they allude to traditional artistic genres: the square-format one, Still Life, alludes to the classical measure of the subject; the horizontal one to the proportions of the landscape; the narrow and elongated one to the Full-length Portrait.
Still Life establishes a relationship with the square format of traditional painting, only to sabotage it with its absence.
The imaginary still life overlaps with what is framed in each exhibition occasion.

The rules of the game, 1991
Galleria Salvatore Ala, 560 Brodway New York; dal 28.9.1991 al 2.11.1991
A cura di Antony Iannacci

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