Francesco Arena
(b.1978, Italy)
Francesco Arena is an Italian contemporary artist known for his conceptual and site-specific installations, sculptures, and performances. Born in 1978 in Torre Santa Susanna, Puglia, Southern Italy, Arena’s work often explores themes of time, history, and the relationship between individuals and their surroundings.
Arena’s artistic practice is characterised by a meticulous attention to detail and a focus on materials and their inherent qualities. He frequently incorporates found objects, such as wood, metal, and stone into his artworks, imbuing them with a sense of history and memory. Through his pieces he investigates the physical and symbolic weight of the objects, questioning their significance and the narratives they carry. His art challenges views to contemplate the relationships between time, space, social dynamics, and political issues. Through his thought-provoking installations, he encourages us to reflect on our shared history, personal experiences and the impact of individual and collective actions on the world we inhabit.
Head between Hand is Francesco’s first and to this day only wearable art project in collaboration with Elisabetta Cipriani; here the artist created something rather personal by using his own body to make his vision alive. Each earring has an imprint of the artist’s finger – one of the thumbs and the other of the pinkie finger. Once these earrings are worn, Arena’s right hand is metaphorically embracing the head of the wearer.
A new-born typically expands his hands with the aim of grabbing anything that surrounds him. This gesture symbolises their will to live and to experience what is around them. This gesture has not changed for the artist, as he keeps on opening his hand to grasp what he likes and what he needs. Thumb and little finger get apart from each other to greet or to intimidate, to touch or to grab.
Throughout his career, Arena’s work has been exhibited internationally in several, museums, galleries and renowned art fairs, such as 2010 Art Statement, Art Basel; Teste, Fondazione Ermanno Casoli, Fabriano. He also has taken part in several group exhibitions among wich: 2015 Ennessima, curated by Vincenzo de Bellis, Triennale, Milano; Nero su bianco, curated by Robert Storr, Lyle Ashton Harris, Peter Benson Miller, American Academy, Roma; Pass. Kunst in dorpen, curated by Jan Hoet Junior, Kris Martin, Melanie Deboutte; Mullem, Huise, Wannegem, Lede; TUTTTOVERO, curated by Francesco Bonami, Castello di Rivoli, Rivoli; Sculptures Also Die, curated by di Lorenzo Benedetti, Centre for Contemporary Culture Strozzina, Palazzo Strozzi, Firenze. 2014 Art Parcourse, Curated by Florence Derieux, Art Basel 45, Basel; Ritratto dell’artista da giovane, Curated by Marcella Beccaria, Castello di Rivoli, Rivoli; Liberdade em movimento, curated by Jacopo Crivelli Visconti, Fundação Iberê Camargo, Porto Alegre, Brasil. 2013 Vice Versa, Italian Pavilon, 55 Biennale di Venezia, Venezia. 2012 La storia che non ho vissuto. Testimone indiretto, Curated by Marcella Beccaria, Castello di Rivoli, Rivoli. The revolution must be made little by little |part 2: The Squaring of the Circle, Galeria Raquel Arnaud, San Paolo, Brasile; Sotto la Strada la Spiaggia, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Torino. 2011 Il bel paese dell’arte, GAMEC, Bergamo; Pleure qui peu rit qui veut – Premio Furla 2011, Palazzo Pepoli, Bologna. 2010 Temporaneo – contemporary art in the evolving city, organized by Nomas Foundation and IMF Foundation, Roma; Practicing Memory – In the time of an all – engaging present, Fondazione Pistoletto, Biella.
