Maura Biava (Italy, 1970) is an Italian visual artist based in Amsterdam who works with photography, sculpture, performance and installation.
She is exhibiting at MIC Faenza for the first time with an exhibition-installation, in the Project Room, titled “in-forma-azione” curated by Alessandra Laitempergher, made possible thanks to the support of the Dutch Mondrian Foundation and MiC- General Directorate for Education, Research and Cultural Institutes.
Maura Biava presents a selection of existing sculptures from the ongoing “Form Informed” series and a new project that includes sculptures made specifically for this exhibition, complemented by photographic works from the growing #ZeroZero series from 2019 to the present.
The exhibition highlights a central theme in Biava’s work: the moment of artistic incipit, when the artist’s hands make contact with clay, signifying the transition from abstract concept to tangible creation.
This symbolic junction, which recurs throughout Biava’s work, blurs the boundaries between the act of creation and its completion, presenting them as a seamless continuum rather than as distinct phases.
Photographs of clay-covered hands, seemingly captured in the initial stages of the artistic process, are juxtaposed with ceramic sculptures, conventionally regarded as the final artistic outcome.
In his installations, process and finished product coexist in harmony, challenging conventional hierarchies and emphasizing the fundamental role of creation in art.
Both paintings and sculptures represent artistic expression, embodying the imprint of the artist’s hands and encapsulating the potential of the creative act.
This theme fits into the broader artistic inquiry into the role of the artist as both agent and vehicle of creation.
Juxtaposing existing and new works, the installation invites viewers to engage with multiple levels of interpretation, fostering a deeper understanding of artistic vision and its creative process.
Opening: Nov. 9, 2024, 12 noon
The exhibition can be visited from Nov. 10, 2024 to Jan. 12, 2025.
