Andrea Barzaghi: Painting as Intellectual Attitude

Andrea Barzaghi (b. 1988, Monza) lives and works in Milan. He studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Urbino and the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Nuremberg. Recent exhibitions include 'Through Unfamiliar' at Tbilisi History Museum (2019), 'Upandown' at Potencja in Krakow (2019), 'Vie di Fuga' at Société Interludio in Turin (2019), 'Superstimulus' at A&O Kunsthalle in Leipzig (2019), 'Dozen' at Rosenbaum Contemporary in Boca Raton (2018), and 'Raid_Manumisson Motel' in San Lazzaro di Savena (2018). Residencies include Italia-Georgia Prize in Tbilisi (2019) and Villa Fontaine in Cap d'Antibes, France (2017). Barzaghi describes painting as an intellectual activity rather than a mere technical medium, a bridge between the intelligible and the inscrutable. His figurative works feature grotesque, non-identifiable figures that represent humanity's attempt to transcend its limits. He cites Jochum Nordström, Anne Imhof, and Matthew Barney as influences. Barzaghi works primarily in oil on canvas, favoring large formats that envelop the viewer. He describes his painting as 'fast, like a snail.' The interview is part of Artribune's 'Pittura lingua viva' series.