Pennacchio Argentato, winner of the Premio WineWise — Metodologie della trasformazione 2024, presents the work Encoded Landscape at the Agricola Bellaria winery in Roccabascerana (AV), creating an interaction between art and productive context.
This artistic intervention unfolds through a reflection on the relationship between the natural and digital landscape, a central theme in the duo's practice, which explores economic, ecological and technological dynamics through a combination of materials.
The work is distinguished by an original displacement of "data," shifting the concrete elements of the landscape from a horizontal plane — natural and earthly — to a vertical one, reminiscent of a screen. This transfer is not merely physical: as the surface of the earth is translated onto a plane that invites an anthropomorphic gaze, it underscores a perceptual ambiguity between two and three dimensions, between the natural and the artificial. Encoded Landscape positions itself as an interface between these worlds, in which sculptural materiality is sublimated and the vision of the landscape is filtered and, in part, altered. Drawing on analogue techniques such as solarization, the duo explores the expressive possibilities of light and shadow within a plastic and sculptural context. This approach produces an estranging, almost psychedelic effect that calls into question our stable perception of space. The surface of the work thus appears as the result of a cast of the landscape, transposing it into a different aesthetic and perceptual dimension.
In Encoded Landscape, Pennacchio Argentato develops a reading of the landscape that reflects the impact of human intervention, highlighting the traces of its anthropisation. The work approaches a kind of visual "core sampling," exploring the hidden strata of the territory, as though each detail emerges to bear witness to a history of interactions and transformations. This disconnect between the idea of an unspoilt nature and the reality of an environment shaped and transformed by human hand is emblematic of an art that is not content merely to represent, but seeks to stimulate critical reflection on the perception and collective memory of landscape.
"On the Edge of Imagination" is the fourth solo exhibition by the artist duo Pennacchio Argentato at Galleria Acappella. This exhibition introduces a captivating site-specific installation that transforms the entire gallery space into a mesmerising metal rail corridor, accompanied by four sets of human arms.
In this immersive experience, the artists evoke the essence of a missing body, akin to a gymnast in mid-performance, gracefully navigating from one end of the metal rail structure to the other. The surreal scene unfolds against a vibrant green background, which alludes to chroma key technology. Using a simple app, visitors can project the installation onto diverse backgrounds, thereby reshaping the narrative and visual context. As visitors traverse the metal rail corridor, they are prompted to contemplate the superstructure of control that society imposes on us, which we must perform within every day — a potent metaphor for the societal dynamics we encounter in our daily lives.
Pennacchio Argentato navigate the intricacies of our contemporary era, particularly the profound influence of AI technology on our daily lives, skilfully employing the metaphor of the disembodied gymnast to convey a powerful message. In this era, human labour is changing, and it is left to the imagination and capabilities of AI to complete or augment the work that we do. "On the Edge of Imagination" invites visitors to explore the delicate interplay between human ingenuity and artificial intelligence, prompting contemplation about our rapidly evolving relationship with technology. This thought-provoking installation is a testament to Pennacchio Argentato's ability to merge artistry and social commentary, inviting us to ponder the profound transformations shaping our world.
Pennacchio Argentato, I'm safe and everything is good in my world, 2022 , Jet Leg Biennale, Lothinger13, Studio, Munich. Epoxy resin, digital image transfer, 200 x 150 x 40 cm.
"An iceberg in the shape of a face. Do we see nature or the head or can we focus on both? At the same time be environmentally conscious and careful with ourselves?
The work plays with the contradictions of our time. Many people practice different methods that are intended to increase their own well-being. Meditation, yoga and mindfulness exercises are very popular. But the efforts often lead to self-exploitative behavior. Self-optimization results in increased productivity, which in turn benefits the capitalist system. As a consequence, the increased performance leads to stress in humans on the one hand and to the progressive destruction of nature on the other.
How can we really treat ourselves and our environment in a healthy way? ...".
The ‘What’s on your mind?’ Facebook status update invites you to tell others what you are doing
and gather feedback from your friends. Feeds and notifications tailored to your needs and behaviour
keep popping up every time you look at your digital device. So you get sucked into something
you didn’t intend to get sucked into.
Everyone is competing for your attention; as it is the most
valuable commodity in human history, a billion dollarsdollar industry. With the intensification
of what Shoshana Zurboff has called surveillance capitalism is an attention extraction model, that
works on human psychology making us vulnerable and exploiting and damaging the healthy fabric
of our society trough targeted advertising. The technology system that we heavily relay on is a bias
towards political polarization, fake news, and manipulative narratives, raising populism and conspiracy
theory and creating a pandemic of confusion. Pennacchio Argentato’ s sculptures address
a state of psychological vulnerability, manipulation and disorientation. The statue of the teenager,
ready to go out equipped with backpack and hat but without clothses, is standing on a platform
made of water, a critical primary resource for the survival of the human species, to indicate a situation
of emergency. ‘I am feeling lucky’ is the title of this sculpture and his posture suggests that
he is about to step away from the platform and move on. What will his next step is going to be?
The two sculptures with the melting pound coins refer to the effect of surveillance capitalism on
the economy, the widening of the inequalities between rich and poor and how technology can
impact the political power through manipulative narratives and fake news. A plinth of milk boxes
and an olive tree-branch are supporting ‘The Algorithm Dream’ coins’ sculptures, to suggest food
as a primary need and as well as the environmental crisis. The melted coins resemble Salvador Dali’s
melted clocks in ‘The Persistence of Memory’. There is a link between surrealism and surveillance
capitalism. As Kenneth Goldsmith points out, ‘The web is tinged with surrealism, employing its
methods of drift, disorientation, and disjunction as ways of opening up new and unknown experiences.’
The algorithm curates and arranges our desires as a digital libidinal force, we are dreaming
someone else’s dream becoming more and more disoriented and defenceless. Tristan Harris, the
co-founder and president of the Centre for Human Technology, calls for a “design renaissance”, in
a search for a more ethical way to use technology without being exploited and manipulated. He
claims, ‘We can’t change a system unless we have a shared understanding and shared language.’
Pennacchio Argentato - Allow your heart to fill with love until it overflows, 2016. Epoxy resin, digital image transfer, 140 x 160 x 60 cm - Premio Cairo, Palazzo reale, Milan, 2016
Pennacchio Argentato - Breathe and imagine your body to expand with each and every breath. As you move in that positive flow, keep breathing as you drift, flow and melt away, 2016. - Epoxy resin, digital image transfer - View of “Peace is a fire”, Galleria Acappella, Naples, 2016
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