Mark Handforth's 'After Nature' at Galleria Franco Noero

Mark Handforth (born 1969 in Hong Kong, lives in Miami) presents 'After Nature' at Galleria Franco Noero in Turin, an exhibition that juxtaposes his minimalist, organic sculptures with the gallery's baroque decor. The show features large-scale works, mobiles, and installations created specifically for the space, inspired by an encounter in a German forest last summer where a snake killed by a dog transformed from organic matter into pure form. Handforth worked with raw materials like iron and brass to achieve simple, vibrant shapes resembling three-dimensional sketches, contrasting them with natural ready-mades such as large shells covered with burning candles and wax drippings. Thousands of candles also adorn a Fiat Panda installed at the Sant'Andrea di Schepis church in Rome, the venue of Gavin Brown's gallery. The exhibition's title 'After Nature' reflects Handforth's view that decoration transforms nature into culture, making it no longer visible. The snake, cast in bronze using its actual dead body, becomes a totemic sculpture. Handforth discusses his process, his preference for direct, physical engagement with materials, and his influences, including Martin Kippenberger and the freedom of the early 1990s New York art scene. He also highlights his use of neon and candles as inexpensive lighting systems that create sublime effects. The interview was conducted by Nicola Davide Angerame.