Young Art in Sardinia
June 27–October 17, 2020
Back_up, Young art in Sardinia is an exhibition project involving 27 Sardinian artists under 40.
It is a survey on the new creative generations of the island unprecedented in terms of extension and scope.
The artists in Back_Up are born in Sardinia, but this biographical data does not define them. Challenging the idea of an anthropologically different Sardinian identity, Back_Up shows the existence of a varied and original set of practices, themes, and points of view: paths and trajectories move from Sardinia towards Italy, Europe and beyond. Painting is the language of choice for many protagonists of the new Sardinian scene, declined in neo-expressionist or neo-surrealist accents, with an inclination toward the fantastic and the uncanny, looking at the relationship between inner life and landscape. The graphic sign is often acute and precise, applied to various media, from the page to the wall. Some look at politics and the social sphere, with ethnographic sensitivity and detached irony, or with activist fervor. Other practices through which they come to terms with reality are sculpture, installation and performance.
Museo Nivola restarts, looking ahead to the future with a new awareness of its social role. Back_Up initiates a long-term plan to support and help to develop a platform for art in Sardinia, acting as a meeting place between artists, the public and the community. It marks the beginning of a cycle of events, projects, and calls dedicated to emerging local artists, which will pair with the museum’s international program to foster and stimulate intellectual debate and public response.
Also on display, a portfolio of works acquired by the museum during the Covid-19 lockdown is now being offered for sale to fund solidarity projects with 100% of the proceeds.
Participating artists in Back_Up are: Irene Balia, Andrea Casciu, Crisa (Federico Carta), Siro Cugusi, Eleonora Di Marino, Andrea D’Ascanio, Roberto Fanari, Sergio Fronteddu, Heart Studio (Bruno Savona and Martina Silli), Silvia Idili, Kiki Skipi, La Fille Bertha, Silvia Mei, Narcisa Monni, Veronica Muntoni, Manuelle Mureddu, Paolo Pibi, Gianmarco Porru, Stefano Serusi, Vittoria Soddu, Giulia Sollai, Carlo Spiga, Daniela Spoto, Edoardo Tedde, Tellas, Alessandro Vizzini.
The Museo Nivola in Orani (Nuoro), at the heart of Sardinia, is devoted to the work of Costantino Nivola (Orani, 1911–East Hampton,1988). Nivola, an artist committed to the integration of art and architecture, played a role in the cultural exchange between Italy and the United States in the second half of the 20th century. The museum’s collection comprises more than 400 sculptures, paintings, and drawings and organizes temporary exhibitions focused primarily on the relationship between art, architecture, and landscape.
