Perino & Vele's 'o databàs' at Alberto Peola Gallery in Turin

The exhibition 'o databàs' at Galleria Alberto Peola in Turin is the fourth solo show by the artistic duo Perino & Vele, formed in 1994 by Emiliano Perino (New York, 1973) and Luca Vele (Rotondi, 1975). The show critically and ironically investigates the cataloging of artworks through everyday objects and forms. Perino & Vele present a set of elements without referents, or 'impossible data,' resulting from contemporary digital cataloging that tends to disperse individual ideas into a shapeless, confused multitude. The metaphor is evident in the selection of works: the new installation 'Big data' (2019) gathers 25 years of activity including sketches, drawings, and drafts—a 'zibaldone' that involves the observer while rejecting any objective validity, highlighting the artists' own will as the sole selection criterion. Irony is emphasized through the use of papier-mâché, which previously underscored suspension and waiting in the installation 'Big Archives' (now at MART in Rovereto, first exhibited by Peola in 2002). In 'Punching Cloud' (2018), papier-mâché is combined with robust iron to evade its natural fragility, creating a sort of contemporary focusing that adds compactness and complexity.