Loredana Longo's 'Victory' Installation at Surplace in Varese

Loredana Longo (Catania, 1967) presents a site-specific installation titled 'Victory' at Surplace in Varese, running until June 21. The work, central to her recent practice, explores the cultural, political, and social weight of the word 'victory.' Longo conceived 'Victory' in 2016 after news of jihadist attacks and the devastation of Palmyra, associating the word with images of human failure. At Surplace, she inverts the letters of 'Victory' using hundreds of broken bottle necks arranged on the floor, creating a dangerous carpet of shards. This piece follows earlier marble sculptures where she applied vandal-like violence and then restored them, leaving scars. Longo discusses her broader practice, including 'FAKE' (2018) at Francesco Pantaleone in Palermo, a vegetal wall where plant growth will obscure the word 'FAKE' over months. Future projects include a collaboration at Palermo's Ucciardone prison with curators, psychiatrists, and inmates, exploring the concept of liberty, and a circus-like project referencing ancient Roman spectacles. She also plans a project in Rwanda for the 25th anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi, using stencils of machetes on the road to the memorial, meant to be walked over and erased. Longo emphasizes the political nature of her work, which she describes as 'weak socially but intensely political,' aiming to offer personal readings of contemporary urgencies.