Fabio Roncato on Sculpture, Material Autonomy, and the Role of Error

In an interview with Davide Dal Sasso on Artribune, sculptor Fabio Roncato discusses his practice, emphasizing the autonomy of sculpture through material exploration and the embrace of error. Roncato describes a two-phase process: an initial exploratory design phase to understand materials, followed by a distancing from acquired knowledge to engage directly with the material. He seeks a 'neutral operational' approach, working as if without theoretical preconceptions, allowing the material to guide form. Error is central, seen as a path to discovery and stability. His current exhibition, 'Il pianeta dove evaporano le rocce' (The Planet Where Rocks Evaporate), features works like 'Momentum' (2017), created through immersion in water, inviting imaginative interpretation. Roncato aims for sculpture that is autonomous, existing between perception and knowledge, favoring abstraction to enable universal deciphering. He values unpredictability and the 'silent conversation' between sculpture and viewer. The interview was published on Artribune in October 2018.