Gilberto Giovagnoli's 'Infinito' at Ltd.gallery, Turin

Gilberto Giovagnoli (b. 1954) presents 'Infinito' at Ltd.gallery in Turin from September 27 to November 18, 2001. His works are large plasticized surfaces, five to six meters long, covered with thousands of elements—waste, drawn papers, imaginary maps, and citations of historical works—all sealed under transparent tape. The title 'porno Victor Hugo pittore' (borrowed from Baudelaire) references Victor Hugo's drawings. Visual references range from Bataille (eroticism) to Damien Hirst, Matthew Barney, Bosch, and Artaud. Giovagnoli seeks to confront societal questions of evil through an elegy for invective painting. Titles like 'Funérailles de Pol Pot' and 'Testa di merda' express political intent, echoing Jörg Immendorff's view that art is a means to express and defend political opinions. The work cannot be reduced to socio-political commentary; it aims for totality, denouncing a 'planetary mess.' 'Anch'io sono hitleriano' paradoxically exhibits the decomposition of society. The calm violence recalls the 'brutality of facts' (Leyris on Bacon). Giovagnoli will also be present at Artissima, Turin's art fair, from November 14 to 18.