Carola Bonfili's 'Second Order Reality' Travels from Barcelona to Ljubljana

Italian artist Carola Bonfili (born 1981, Rome) presents 'Second Order Reality', a multimedia project exploring liminal spaces and temporal thresholds through CGI video, VR installation, and sculptures. The exhibition debuted at La Capella in Barcelona and will be hosted by Aksioma – Institute for Contemporary Art in Ljubljana from January 18 to February 16, 2024. Curated by Daniela Cotimbo and Ilaria Gianni and promoted by Fondazione smART, the project is itinerant, with its final stop at MAXXI in Rome. Central to the work are perceptual states in virtual navigation, linked by the artist to children's 'magical thinking'. Bonfili investigates childhood transitory states, referencing literature from Gustave Flaubert to H. G. Wells. Workshops with children inform the development of a video game. The exhibition features the character M'ling, a monkey whose body petrifies, prompting a healing journey. The narrative unfolds in the video 'The Stone Monkey' and the VR installation 'Level 1, Illusions that we should have, but don't', with sound design by Francesco D'Abbraccio creating liminal audio objects. New sculptures include cement figures of M'ling and Tanky Pear, and 'The Stone Monkey'PBR', spherical sculptures from physical renders. A catalog published by Nero Editions includes texts by the curators, Domenico Quaranta, and Valentina Tanni.