Giorgio Ortona's Urban Peripheries at I Martedì Critici

Giorgio Ortona (Tripoli, 1960), a Roman artist trained in architecture at the University of Rome and a student of Antonio López García, was the subject of the latest I Martedì Critici event, interviewed by Alberto Dambruoso and Loredana Finicelli. Ortona's work focuses on the unfinished quality of urban peripheries, particularly the 'palazzine' (apartment blocks) of Rome, which writer Valerio Magrelli describes as secretly beloved by the artist despite their widespread criticism. Ortona also depicts empty churches and oratories, and human figures in Pasolinian suburbs, using a subtractive 'unfinished' aesthetic to enhance realism. In 2011, he was invited to the 54th Venice Biennale, exhibiting in both the Italian Pavilion and the Cuban Pavilion. His recent series employs Google Maps to select aerial views of structures in cities like Rome, Catania, and Cagliari, transforming planimetric figures into abstract, emotionally charged landscapes.