Biography
Of Italian-Argentine origin, Sebastiano Mauri has graduated from Film School, New York University (1995). His short-films have won the Martin Scorcese Post-Production award and the Warner Brothers Award.
His works have been exhibited at the MART (Museo d'arte moderna e contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto), MNAC (National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest), CACT (Center for Contemporary Art of Ticino, Bellinzona), CCEBA (Centro Cultural de España en Buenos Aires), VIA FARINI (Milan), KSA:K (Center for Contemporary Arts, Chisinau), FAC (Fundación de Arte Contemporáneo, Montevideo), La Milanesiana 2007 (Milan, Teatro dal Verme), Espacio Casa de la Cultura (Buenos Aires), Triennale di Milano, Palazzo delle Papesse (Siena).
He lives and works between Buenos Aires and Milan.
Vision of art
1. Choose a work that represents you, describe it in relation to its format and materiality, its relation with time and space, its style and theme; detail its production process.
Shadow of a doubt, 2006. Lambda print on acrylic. 100x100cm. This work interests me particulary because it represents an important stage in my work. After so many years of dealing with photography, painting and video as different techniques, I've finally managed to overcome that prejudice by literally merging the three into one sole image. Shadow of a doubt is the digital photograph of a video projection over an oil on canvas.
2. In general terms, how would you suggest to approach your work?
As a utopic and very concrete invitation to get rid of our prejudices.
3. In reference to your work and your position in the national and international art fields, what tradition do you recognize yourself in? Who are your contemporary referents? What artists of previous generations are of interest to you?
The supreme deity of my artistic pantheon is probably Gerhardt Richter. I've always been fascinated by what he paints and writes. His anthology "The daily practice of painting" is my personal Bible. Other important influences to me are Marcel Duchamp, for having been the precursor of almost all artistic innovations in the XX century. Andy Warhol, for his wisdom with the market and the desacralization effect of his art. Bill Viola, on the contrary, for having risen the standards of video art.
4. Choose works or exhibitions from the last ten or fifteen years which in your opinion were very significant and explain why
All exhibitions by Max Gómez Canle. I travel using my imagination each time I see one.
5. What tendencies or groupings from common elements do you see in argentine art of the last ten or fifteen years?
Many tendencies but very few groupings.
