Diego Marcon on Cinema, Animatronics, and Uncanny Moles
Italian artist Diego Marcon discusses his filmmaking practice, which draws on cinema history, animatronics, and CGI to create unsettling loops. His works, such as 'Ludwig' (2018) and 'The Parents' Room' (2021), use child protagonists and musical tropes to explore melancholy and the uncanny. Marcon's latest film 'Dolle' (2023) features animatronic moles performing calculations in a 30-minute loop. He emphasizes the materiality of techniques like hand-developed film and prosthetic masks, which introduce an uncontrollable 'third force' into his work. Marcon cites influences from Glenn Gould to gabber music. His solo exhibition 'Glassa' opens at Centro Pecci, Prato, from 30 September to 4 February, and 'Have You Checked the Children' at Kunsthalle Basel from 27 October to 24 January.
Key facts
- Diego Marcon is an Italian artist.
- His film 'Ludwig' (2018) is a CGI musical about a boy trapped in a ship's hold.
- 'The Parents' Room' (2021) was shown at the 2022 Venice Biennale in Cecilia Alemani's 'The Milk of Dreams'.
- 'Dolle' (2023) uses animatronic moles and loops for 30 minutes.
- Marcon set up his own animatronics lab in Tuscany for 'Dolle'.
- He collaborated with composer Federico Chiari on film scores.
- His solo exhibition 'Glassa' is at Centro Pecci, Prato, from 30 September to 4 February.
- His solo show 'Have You Checked the Children' is at Kunsthalle Basel from 27 October to 24 January.
Entities
Artists
- Diego Marcon
- Cecilia Alemani
- Federico Chiari
- Glenn Gould
- Don Bluth
Institutions
- Centro Pecci
- Kunsthalle Basel
- Venice Biennale
- The Museum of Industry and Labour in Brescia
- ArtReview
- Disney
- Blockbuster
Locations
- Lake Vassivière
- France
- Italy
- Tuscany
- Prato
- Basel
- Venice
- Los Angeles
- Brescia