Marinella Senatore: Afterglow

Mazzoleni is pleased to announce the multi-site exhibition MARINELLA SENATORE. Afterglow, taking place from June 9–August 26, 2022 at Mazzoleni in 15 Old Bond Street and at selected sites across the city, including Embassy of Italy in London, Battersea Power Station, SIAL School, Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, and Petersham Nurseries in Covent Garden.

Marinella Senatore follows up Make it Shine—her first solo exhibition with Mazzoleni, shown at the Turin gallery between November 2021 and January 2022—with Afterglow, an exhibition that not only presents a new body of sculptures and drawings, but also activates the city across different outdoor light installations and performances.

The multi-site nature of Afterglow exemplifies Senatore’s multidisciplinary and participatory practice, which is characterised by a strong collective dimension. Taking her inspiration from Southern Italy’s “luminarie,” the elaborate light structures that traditionally adorn cities and re-create cathedrals, piazzas, and other architectural elements for outdoor public celebrations and religious festivities, the artist will insert her own site-specific light sculptures on the facades and forecourts of significant buildings across London. In her words, “luminarie are like monuments to and for people, to the ‘here and now’, to live actions and experiences.”  By including quotes on empowerment and identity in her works, Senatore creates a system that politically activates the public. Her sources for quotes and texts range from literature and feminist contexts to popular traditions and arts.

On Thursday June 9 at 6pm, a series of “public actions”—as defined by the artist—will “activate” the light sculpture Assembly (2021), a work comprising two monumental outdoor light installations, currently positioned in front of the Grade II* listed Power Station, in the newly opened six acre park facing the iconic Battersea Power Station, a space that “naturally” gather communities and has hosted Senatore’s projects previously in 2018 within the framework of Art Night London: a network of participants again reunited on the occasion of this celebration. This main performance, open to all, will see the participation of over 200 performers, including music bands, choirs, dancers, poets, and athletes, each of them sharing core values as well as personal connections with the artist and The School of Narrative Dance (SOND), Senatore’s renowned participatory project that counts a network of over 6.5 million participants across 23 countries. SOND is a free of charge, nomadic school, focused on exploring new ideas of community, empowerment, and emancipation through different disciplines.

Afterglow is inscribed in the celebrations for the tenth anniversary of SOND along with a broad series of exhibitions and events by Senatore scheduled for 2022 at major institutions, including the solo show art meets city in Baden-Baden between July 15 and September 4. From September 15, 2022, Marinella Senatore will also present a series of performances, workshops, and displays at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. 

The exhibition at the gallery will capture a more personal and immersive experience. In an intimate “glowing in the dark” atmosphere—reminiscent of Fabio Mauri’s Moon environment—the show will bring together several previously unseen neon sculptures, light sculptures, and installations.

Events
Private view (Mazzoleni London): June 9, 10am–4pm
Performance (Battersea Power Station, Circus Rd W, Nine Elms, London SW8 5BN): June 9, from 6pm onward

Exhibition and installations
Exhibition (Mazzoleni London): June 9–August 26 
Public installation (Battersea Power Station): May 6–June 10
Public installation (Embassy of Italy in London): June 7–June 30
Public installations (SIAL School, Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, and Petersham Nurseries Covent Garden): June 9–August 26 

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