Art as a Remedy for Pandemic Fear: José Angelino and Luca Di Luzio

The article explores how art helps overcome the fear of contagion during the COVID-19 pandemic. It references philosopher Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology of perception, which argues that the world exists independently but humans give it meaning through consciousness. This concept is embodied in Luca Di Luzio's series "Atlas Ego Imago Mundi," where the artist uses his own body—pressing wrists, elbows, shoulders, and stomach coated in color onto paper—to create cartographic imprints that become islands, archipelagos, and continents. The work transforms the body from a sensory medium into a generator of new territories, echoing the Vitruvian Man as a microcosm with creative power. The article also discusses José Angelino's neon installations, such as "Swing" (2015) and "Mosquitos," which use light and electromagnetic fields to simulate natural phenomena like the aurora borealis. Angelino's work emphasizes the reformulation of individuality in favor of coexistence, mirroring Italy's lockdown sacrifices. Claire Fontaine's neon piece "Please God Make Tomorrow Better" (2008) and Martin Creed's "Everything is going to be all right" are cited as messages of hope shared on social media. The article concludes that art is not mere entertainment but an extension of being, affirming the desire to express ideas and fuel debate. Written by Giorgia Basili for Artribune, it reflects on how art provides beauty and knowledge as a counterforce to fear.