Opera, a new permanent installation by Edoardo Tresoldi in Reggio Calabria

Italian artist Edoardo Tresoldi, famous worldwide for his ethereal installations in public spaces, archaeological sites, art parks, festivals and exhibitions, presents his new permanent public art installation: Opera which will soon be completed in Reggio Calabria. As with previous works by the Milan artist, the new installation will research the poetics of dialog between man and landscape, and will be his second major permanent public work in Italy. The first was the restoration of the early Christian Basilica of Siponto in Puglia, an installation commissioned by MiBACT (Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism) in 2016 and awarded the Gold Medal for Italian Architecture 2018 - Special Prize for Commission, which brought the artist international acclaim. The new art installation, simply entitled “Opera”, promoted and commissioned by the Local Authority and City of Reggio Calabria, will be constructed along Falcomatà seafront in the Calabrian city. Work has already commenced, with construction beginning during July. The official opening is scheduled for September 2020. As previously on other installations, Edoardo Tresoldi has used typical architectural but not traditional components for “Opera”. The artist has designed and created the artworks from wire mesh and other industrial materials. The language of architecture is an expressive medium, key to interpreting the place. Wire mesh, the artist’s material of choice, reinstates the structure’s overall dimensions but not the fabric. Components are semi transparent and appear to dissipate, transcending the space-time dimension to create a dialog between Art and World.

Opera, the new permanent installation designed by the artist on Falcomatà seafront in Reggio Calabria, was created to celebrate “the contemplative relationship between place and the human being” using components such as columns, part of the language of classical architecture and typical of southern Italy. The columns designed by Edoardo Tresoldi are created in wire mesh, chosen by the artist since it is the most appropriate material to create the transparency of “Absent Matter”. A concept the artist defines thus: “ The Absent Matter is the representation of a mental projection, filter and shape through which places, instants and beings are narrated.”. The installation in a 2,500 square meter urban park is a new landmark for the region. The open monument, a colonnade consisting of 46 columns 8 meters high, is fully accessible and can be walked through by locals and tourists. With “Opera”, Edoardo Tresoldi describes the imaginary space as: “a mental agora that leads visitors into an ever-changing perceptive dimension thanks to its playing with heights and depths.” This is the second installation the artist has created in Calabria, the first being the sculpture “Il Collezionista di Venti” created in 2013 at Pizzo. Presenting his new installation Edoardo Tresoldi said: “Opera was created to emphasize the character of place through the built element, thus suggesting an additional layer of understanding. I tried to build a place of contemplation and to investigate the role of public art today, which I believe should be able to embrace the present.”

(Agnese Bifulco)

Images courtesy of Edoardo Tresoldi, photo by Roberto Conte

Project Name: OPERA (Permanent installation)
Project by Edoardo Tresoldi www.edoardotresoldi.com
Location: Under Falcomatà seafront, in the park at the end of via Giunchi - Reggio Calabria, Italy
Opening September 2020
Photo: Roberto Conte

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