Marcello Maloberti's 'Il pubblico è il mio corpo' at Kestner-Gesellschaft

Marcello Maloberti (born 1966 in Codogno) has created a site-specific facade installation for the Kestner-Gesellschaft in Hannover, one of Germany's largest and most renowned Kunstvereine. The work, titled 'Il pubblico è il mio corpo' (The Public Is My Body), features large black capital letters on a white background and has been displayed above the entrance for weeks. Curated by Adam Budak, the project is linked to Maloberti's poetic writings 'Martellate', previously used for the visual communication of Biennale Gherdeina 7 in collaboration with Lupo&Burtscher studio. Maloberti stated in an interview with Giulia Ronchi: 'In my works I feel a strong sense of Italianness and humanity together, which we need now because it gives us warmth and community. It's the importance of discovering the other, finding a collective self and losing oneself in the other. I lose myself and find you. That's what I do in my work and performances: the public is my body.' The declaration also expresses appreciation for museum and gallery visitors, whose presence completes the artist's work, and marks the institution's new format to maintain contact with the public during lockdown while increasing visibility in public space. The installation is on view until April 4, 2021.