Roger Ballen / Lightless Compelling Exploration
- Lightless Compelling Exploration
Spotlight by Maria Abramenko on “Ballen by Ballen” exhibition
Dancing with the Angel, 2015
The serene town of Todi is undergoing a dramatic transformation with the arrival of “Ballen by Ballen,” a photographic exhibition by the American born and South Africa based master, Roger Ballen. Hosted by the Galleria Giampaolo Abbondio from May 25, 2024, to September 2, 2024, this exhibition promises to be a riveting journey into the shadowy recesses of the human psyche.
Galleria Giampaolo Abbondio: A Hub of Avant-Garde Art
Nestled in the historic Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi 7, the Galleria Giampaolo Abbondio has long been a beacon for contemporary art. Known for its commitment to showcasing groundbreaking and thought-provoking works, the gallery offers an ideal setting for Ballen’s hauntingly intricate pieces. The space itself, with its stoical design and atmospheric lighting, enhances the stark, unsettling beauty of Ballen’s works. This exhibition is divided in four rooms showcasing six series of prints.
Over the years, the gallery has featured prominent artists such as Nan Goldin, Andres Serrano, Oleg Kulik, Masbedo, Edo Bertoglio, and Andrei Molodkin among many others, further solidifying its reputation for curating exhibitions that challenge conventional perspectives and very often pushing all the boundaries of artistic expression.
Roger Ballen: Master of Existential Psychodramas
Gazing, 2010
Roger Ballen, born in New York in 1950, has lived and worked in South Africa since 1982. His career, spanning five decades, began in the realm of Arbusian documentary photography but quickly evolved into something far more complex and unique. Ballen’s work defies easy categorisation, blending elements of film, installation, theater, sculpture, painting, and drawing to create what he describes as “existential psychodramas.” These psychodramas delve deep into the subconscious mind, touching on themes of chaos and order, madness, the human-animal relationship, and the interplay between life and death. Ballen’s visual language is rich and multifaceted, often disturbing yet profoundly engaging. His art evokes a visceral response, forcing viewers to confront the darker, repressed aspects of their own psyche.
Credits:
Artist: Roger Ballen / @rogerballen
Gallery: Galleria Giampaolo Abbondio / @galleriagiampaoloabbondio
Text:: Maria Abramenko / @mariabramenko
Assistant: Annalisa Fabbrucci / @annalisa_fabbrucci
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