Francesca Antonini Arte Contemporanea is pleased to present NIX, the fourth solo show by Simone Cametti (Rome, 1982) at the gallery.
The exhibition project features the most recent stages of the artist's research on the substance of materials and the complex dialectic between nature and culture, developing from an action performed inside the Acqua Bianca quarry in South Tyrol, one of the richest marble deposits in the world, located at 1.567 meters. The title of the exhibition, NIX, is a reference to the quarry: this word [from the German nichts "nothing; anything"], written in fluorescent paint on some of the walls, is a signal that it is not possible to dig any further in order to avoid the risk of collapse.
This action of Simone Cametti took place in December, as it is precisely during this time of year that the quarry is completely flooded: the water pumps stop working to provide energy savings and the caverns fill with water, making the underground environments particularly striking and unusual.
The underwater footage taken by the artist - aimed at the chromatic investigation of the most various shades of blue - is presented in a video installation consisting of two monitors. The research on color and refraction of light is further developed in some photographs presented upside down, in which Simone Cametti, through lenses from the 1950s, explores the space in which he is submerged.
In the gallery space, shots and videos of the artist alternate with a selection of marble works installed on the wall: the action in the quarry is translated into small-format sculptures in fluorescent colors - made using a matte two-component polyurethane paint - in which the natural veining of the stone is emphasized by graphite pencil marks. Bright oranges, pinks and yellows allude to the NIX signs on the quarry walls, sparking reflections on man's conscious use of natural resources.