Mauro Portello's Therapeutic Gaze: Wittgenstein, Jung, and Visual Clarity

An essay by Moreno Montanari and Anita Romanello, published on doppiozero, explores the work of artist Mauro Portello through the lens of Wittgenstein's philosophy and Jungian amplification. The authors invoke Wittgenstein's aphorism about the philosopher's need for a sharp gaze to see what is before everyone's eyes, suggesting that philosophy's task is to clarify and focus what mental constructs and common sense obscure. They argue that this process is therapeutic, not by offering explanations but by showing (zeigen) what cannot be said (sagen), using metaphors, analogies, free associations, and Jungian amplifications—a method typically applied to dream material but extendable to other images. The essay begins with an image from Portello's work, which is enriched rather than reduced through parallels drawn from myths, fairy tales, worldviews, and religions. The publication date is August 22, 2026, and the piece appears in the 'Arte' section of doppiozero.