Lucrezia Longobardi on Existential Space at Fondazione Morra, Naples

Lucrezia Longobardi's essay 'Sulla dimensione di spazio esistenziale #2 (V)' explores the concept of existential space through the works of Liz Magor and Rachel Whiteread, as part of the exhibition 'Lo spazio esistenziale. Definizione #2' at Fondazione Morra in Naples in 2019. Longobardi discusses the notion of 'elegant sterility'—a state outside time that offers freedom from political-existential totalitarianism but risks a drifting, dreamlike condition. She compares this to dreaming, where actions are present but not directly impactful, yet influence reality through suggestions and buried materials. Magor's works, such as 'All the names II' (2014) and 'Casual' (2012), freeze domestic spaces in silicone, capturing fragile, interior time. Whiteread's 'Colours' (2008) series preserves forgotten everyday objects as negative sculptures, transforming them into monuments of memory. Longobardi argues these artists give authority to overlooked things, creating a 'dream aquarium' that reveals the intimate dimension of being. The exhibition was held at Fondazione Morra, Naples, in 2019.