Concrete Archive: Stefano Canto's Monograph Published by Drago

Stefano Canto (Rome, 1974) releases Concrete Archive, a monograph published by Drago, a Rome-based independent publisher. The 128-page volume collects images of past and recent works alongside texts by authors engaging with specific projects from his research. The book opens with a contribution by Valentina Gioia Levy analyzing Canto's work through a quote from Mies van der Rohe's 1924 essay 'Die form,' which critiques form as an end in itself. Canto, who studied architecture, explores the relationship between form, space, and materiality, often using everyday objects and contexts. A recent project during a residency at VIR Viafarini in Milan involved installing ice fragments on cement dust piles, creating a mutable sculpture that highlights transformation over time. Other contributors include Fabio Di Carlo, Salvatore Davì, Mike Watson, Emanuela Nobile Mino, and Carmen Stolfi, who reveal connections between Canto's work and other disciplines. Canto's practice also encompasses photography, drawing, and collage. The monograph coincides with the exhibition 'Concrete Archive' at Galleria Matèria in Rome, which collaborated on the publication. Canto describes his approach with a quote from archaeologist Clementina Panella: 'Decompose to know and recompose to communicate.' The book is priced at €28 and available at dragolab.com.