Luca Monterastelli Italy, b. 1983

Biography

LUCA MONTERASTELLI (°1983. Forlimpopoli, Italy. Lives an works in Milan, Italy) is developing and entirely individual, contemporary, sculptural vocabulary. His sculptures often consist of vertical, vaguely anthropomorphic forms, which create formal paradoxes that encourage the viewer to explore the work from up close. According to the American art critic Rosalind Krauss, a sculpture almost inevitably refers to the human body. The work of Monterastelli supports this idea. The titles of some of the works such as Only Hairs and Bones (2013) for instance, contain allusions to the physical imagination. Despite these bodily allusions, the artist makes primarily abstract work.

Monterastelli’s sculptures form an accumulation of geometric entities that each contain multiple, potential meanings. Aside from this playful formal language, his work is defined by his bold, robust choice of materials. Monterastelli clearly has a unique sense of materials and the mystery they evoke. As a spectator, one often does not know what material one is looking at. Is it cement or marble, limestone or linen?

Luca Monterastelli has already had several solo exhibitions, such as Villa Mondolfo, Como, Italy (2017), HIAP, Helsinki, Finland (2014), viafarini DOCVA, Milan, Italy (2013), Centre d’art contemporain Parc Saint Léger, Pougues-les-eaux, France (2012), Chez Néon Diffuseur d’Art Contemporain, Lyon, France (2012) and MARS, Milan, Italy (2011). He took part in several group shows, including La Triennale, Milan, Italy (2015), the 56th Venice Biennale, Italy (2015). His work has been shown at places including casa Testori, Novate Milanese, Milan, Italy (2014), Fondazione Bevilaqua la Masa, Venice, Italy (2014), Museo Marino Marini, Florence, Italy (2013) and Brown Project Space, Milan, Italy (2010).

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Works

During the Night, Some Precious, Precious Potions Will Appear Before Me, and Then I'll Lay on the Magic Black Matter on Which the City Floats, 2024
The Train Station Wall, Surrounding the Centre of the World, Glows Between 11PM and 2AM, in the Thin Corner That Divides the Marble and My Dear, Dear Asphalt, 2024
A Streak of Blue Rose in the East; LM#0218, 2023
Away From Home Cold and Silent Pale and Silent on the Journey; LM#0215, 2023
Count Fingers, Count Minutes, Count Hours, Then Count Years, Then Decades LM#0199, 2023
EXT. A CLOSED GARDEN. A CIRCLE OF MEN WAIT IN SILENCE LM#0205, 2023
EXT. A LARGE AVENUE, A MEDITERRANEAN SUN SHINING DOWN ON EVERY SINGLE VEHICLE IN THE TRAFFIC JAM LM#0210, 2023
EXT. NIGHT, GLARE OF FLAMES, A SQUARE FILLED WITH SILENT PEOPLE LM#0204, 2023
EXT. ON THE BANKS OF THE ___ RIVER LM#0207, 2023
EXT. SEA CLIFF, ILLUMINATED BY MOONLIGHT LM#0212, 2023
EXT. ___ AND ___ TWO FIGURES, BACKLIT, IN SUNSET LM#0208, 2023
INT. A WAITING ROOM - NIGHT, COLD, HUMMING NEON LIGHTS FROM THE CEILING LM#0224, 2023
The One Who Trembles at the Blow Flees Where He Can LM#0216, 2023
And the eyes fell to the ground, into the dust, 2020
Depict Being Prey - This is How They Do It (LM#165), 2020
Don't Make Your Grip Loose, It Will End Sooner - Then We Will Rest (LM#167), 2020
From Each Fragment There Is Another Fragment, So for the Call of the Buzzard That Scolds You as You Struggle Between Its Claws (LM#176), 2020
Take Your Time - This is How You Do It (LM#170), 2020
Warmth Will Go Slowly, In the Universe - This Is All We Know (LM#168), 2020