SILVIO WOLF
SULLA SOGLIA – ON THE THRESHOLD
curated by Giorgio Verzotti
7 October – 6 November 2011
PAC Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea – Via Palestro 14, Milan

PAC opens its new season with the exhibition ‘SILVIO WOLF. On the Threshold’, curated by Giorgio Ver- zotti, which will run from 7 October to 6 November. Supported by the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Milan and produced by PAC, this first solo exhibition of the work of Silvio Wolf in a public space in Italy, conceived exclusively for the Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea, is also one of the events organized for the 7th Giornata del Contemporaneo / Contemporary Art Day, Saturday 8 October 2011, organized by AMACI (the Italian Association of Contemporary Art Museums), of which PAC is a founding member.

The exhibition explores thirty years of artistic activity, in seven different sections. In the itinerary designed by Silvio Wolf the visitor is placed at the center of a visual and sensory experience: environmental instal- lations, photographic works and video projections are conceived as stages of a journey that engages the viewer from the outset, moving through timeless images in which light is the primary feature, the ex- pressive fulcrum of work that amplifies perception and sensory stimuli, immersing the viewer in a situa- tion the artist calls “listening”.

The first section presents Light Wave, created for the 53rd Venice Biennale: the impressive abstract writ- ing of light displayed on the threshold of the exhibition itinerary marks the sensory aspect of the show and introduces the visitor to the coming stages of the journey. The next three rooms are devoted to cycles of photographic works: Soglie/Thresholds (symbolic images of architecture), Orizzonti/Horizons (abstractions in the language of photography) and Icone di Luce/Icons of Light (apparition and disappearance of the object-image): they deal with the principal themes explored by the artist in the photographic medium.
Through these cycles Silvio Wolf examines, in different ways, the threshold relationship between visible re- ality, surface and subject. The still image in these four sections interacts with the fluid images of the video projections in the fifth room, which subjectively explore public spaces with strong symbolic connotations, and with the two large, evocative site-specific installations on the ground level and in the upper gallery. The environmental works use radiating light, sound, photography and reflecting surfaces to actively in- volve the viewer in the architectural space. The nature of these works and the particular way they are set up encourage visitors to remain in quiet contemplation, but also to consciously interact with spaces con- ceived as active zones of experience.

To complete the itinerary, in collaboration with the contralto Cinzia Bauci and the musician Pier Gallesi the artist has created the performance La Via del Cuore/The Way of the Heart, which will be presented live to journalists at the end of the press conference and performed on the evenings of the opening and Contemporary Art Day. The sound recording of the performance will also be played back as part of the show. Conceived as a true work within the work, it offers an acoustic and performance-based interpre- tation of the large glass wall installation on the ground level, whose ten back-lit sections symbolically fol- low, in ten stations, the actions of bodies, the human voice and the mystical sound of the Shofar, the ancient musical instrument of the Hebrew tradition.

Silvio Wolf (Milan, 1952), Visiting Professor at the School of Visual Arts in New York and professor at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan, creates photographic works, installations and environmental proj- ects using video, light, projection and sound. He has exhibited in many museums, public spaces and gal- leries in Italy and other countries, including Belgium, Canada, Germany, England, Luxembourg, Spain and the United States. He participated in Documenta VIII in Kassel and in the 53rd Venice Biennale.

• The exhibition has been organized with the support of VHERNIER, a company committed to pro- moting and supporting contemporary art, which is a source of constant inspiration for its range of fine jewelry. “Contemporary art is a fundamental part of our company’s cultural legacy. This is why we are once again promoting artistic experimentation,” explains Carlo Traglio, president of Vhernier. “Our con- tribution is a tribute to Silvio Wolf and his works, with their extraordinary artistic and emotional impact.”
• The event was also made possible by a contribution from DVR CAPITAL, whose founder Carlo Dav- eri is a keen supporter of creative and innovative initiatives, which he introduces in the complex world of finance, always looking to the future in a constructive way.
• The lighting for the works was conceived by the artist in close collaboration with lighting designer Marco Pollice. Together they have produced a project of excellence, working not only on the aes- thetics but also on the poetic aspect of the work , transforming light into pure emotion.
• PAC’s annual activity is made possible through the support of TOD’S. • The educational program for the public, conceived and organized by MARTE, is made possible by
the contribution of the COOP Lombardia Group. • The exhibition is supported by Arte and Zoom magazines as media partners.
• The exhibition is accompanied by a book/catalogue published by Silvana Editoriale, with texts by Giorgio Verzotti, Silvio Wolf and a critical anthology by other writers.

Press conference | Thursday 6 October | at 11:30 am At the end of the press conference: performance La Via del Cuore at 1:00 pm*
Opening | Thursday 6 October at 6:30 pm During the opening: performance La Via del Cuore at 8:00 pm*
Saturday 8 October | 7th Giornata del Contemporaneo / Contemporary Art Day: Extended opening hours from 9:30 am to midnight, free of charge Performance La Via del Cuore: 10:00 pm

PAC Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea
Via Palestro 14, Milan
Opening hours| Monday 2:30 pm – 7:30 pm | from Tuesday to Sunday 9:30 am – 7:30 pm | Thursday 9:30 am – 10:30 pm | Last entry: one hour before closing
Info | Tel. 02 884 46359/46360 | www.comune.milano.it/pac
Press office | De Angelis Relazioni Stampa Tel. 02 324 377 a.a. | info@deangelispress.it
Press Office Comune di Milano
Elena Conenna | Tel. 02 884 50103 elenamaria.conenna@comune.milano.it

Position the cursor on the images to view captions, click on images to enlarge them.

Posizionare il cursore sulle immagini per leggere le didascalie; cliccare sulle immagini per ingrandirle.

L’idea di Soglia appartiene in forme diverse a tutta l’opera di Silvio Wolf, sia nelle immagini ispirate all’architettura sia in quelle apparentemente più astratte, in cui l’oggetto della rappresentazione è il linguaggio stesso della fotografia. In tutti i lavori sono centrali i concetti di limite, di assenza e di altrove, espressi attraverso metafore dello spazio e simboli dei luoghi.

Nelle immagini architettoniche la soglia è individuata in luoghi reali, che l’artista interpreta come modelli di realtà: il limite tra interno ed esterno, tra presenza e assenza, qui ed altrove, in grado d’indicare strade, esperienze e possibili alterità.

Nelle nuove opere a specchio il visitatore diviene parte attiva dell’opera, riflettendo la sua stessa immagine nelle aree -di transizione- dei lavori, quelle apparentemente bianche.