David Claerbout and Francesco Simeti at XNL Piacenza
XNL Piacenza, the former Enel power plant turned cultural center, opened its contemporary art program with an exhibition featuring David Claerbout and Francesco Simeti. Directed by Paola Nicolin, the show occupies two homologous floors. On the ground floor, Belgian artist David Claerbout (b. 1969, Kortrijk) presents "The Pure Necessity" (2016), a three-year project re-animating frames from Disney's "The Jungle Book" where anthropomorphic animals revert to natural behaviors. Upstairs, Francesco Simeti (b. 1968, Palermo) shows "Curtain" (2017), a wallpaper-like installation with techno-collage referencing art history, and "Rubble" (2007), a puzzle of ruin imagery. Both artists subvert consumer products—entertainment and decor—into new meanings. The exhibition precedes a Klimt show and the official program launch in September 2022.
Key facts
- XNL Piacenza is a former Enel power plant turned cultural center.
- The exhibition is the first contemporary art project at XNL, directed by Paola Nicolin.
- David Claerbout presents 'The Pure Necessity' (2016), reworking Disney's 'The Jungle Book' frames.
- Francesco Simeti shows 'Curtain' (2017) and 'Rubble' (2007).
- Claerbout is Belgian, born 1969 in Kortrijk; Simeti is Italian, born 1968 in Palermo.
- The exhibition runs before a Klimt show and the official program launch in September 2022.
- XNL is located near Piacenza's main theaters, Conservatory, and Galleria Ricci Oddi.
- Roberto Reggi is president of Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano.
Entities
Artists
- David Claerbout
- Francesco Simeti
- Alberto Mugnaini
Institutions
- XNL Piacenza
- Enel
- Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano
- Galleria Ricci Oddi
- MART
- Artribune
Locations
- Piacenza
- Italy
- Kortrijk
- Belgium
- Palermo
- New York