Marco Vitale on Quarantine, Performance, and the Future of Art
In a conversation with Giuseppe Amedeo Arnesano for Artribune, Italian artist Marco Vitale, born in 1992 in Brindisi, reflects on how the COVID-19 quarantine influenced his artistic practice. Confronted with a rising death toll, he grappled with feelings of guilt and pondered the feasibility of creating art in such bleak circumstances. Prior to the lockdown, he had arranged a performance at Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome for an autumn exhibition curated by Ilaria Gianni and organized an artist residency alongside Jamie Sneider. He collaborated with Alice Caracciolo on the Starting Notes series, which has now been published, and is also developing a publication with Giorgiomaria Cornelio. Vitale has envisioned a 'ghost show' as part of a trilogy of performances, with his research centered on the 'discovery of fire,' interpreting the pandemic as an opportunity for renewal.
Key facts
- Marco Vitale is an Italian artist born in 1992 in Brindisi.
- The interview was conducted by Giuseppe Amedeo Arnesano.
- Vitale felt guilt during quarantine due to rising death tolls.
- He questioned how to practice art while surrounded by desert.
- Before lockdown, he planned a performance at Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome.
- The performance is for a fall exhibition curated by Ilaria Gianni, parallel to the Rome Quadriennale.
- He organized a residency with Jamie Sneider for Progetto, hosting Aria Dean.
- He tutored students at PIA via screen.
- With Alice Caracciolo, he curated the Starting Notes series, now a book.
- He is working on a publication with Giorgiomaria Cornelio.
- He imagined a 'ghost show' months before closures, the final part of a performance trilogy.
- The trilogy began at Edicola Radetzky in Milan, curated by Like a Little Disaster.
- The second part was at Progetto in Lecce.
- The third exhibition was to be a phantom space, closed to the public and documentation.
- His research focuses on the 'discovery of fire' as a state of vigilance.
- In 'This Less is Gesture', he read a text and improvised a clause about art and oral tradition.
- He sees the pandemic as a possibility for a new fire with which to speak.
- He hopes for a spring of measure, summer of spirit, autumn of production, winter of the system.
Entities
Artists
- Marco Vitale
- Giuseppe Amedeo Arnesano
- Ilaria Gianni
- Jamie Sneider
- Aria Dean
- Alice Caracciolo
- Giorgiomaria Cornelio
Institutions
- Artribune
- Palazzo delle Esposizioni
- La Quadriennale di Roma
- Progetto
- PIA
- Edicola Radetzky
- Like a Little Disaster
Locations
- Brindisi
- Italy
- Rome
- Milan
- Lecce