L'ora italiana
1-2. The exhibition being fitted out
3. The lighting in the hall comes from a disc-shaped source, specially designed and built,
formed of 10 PAR 56 300W type lamps fitted with a dimmer control system
Isgro´ decided to work exclusively with "round" forms
on this exhibition, playing radically on circular space that multiplies through the
idea of a twin set of objects ... The artist opted for a total,
violent and blinding effect. "Light usually illuminates, but here it blocks the
view and cancels out images. I did not design these works in relation to sunlight,
as the old masters used to - I worked on the kind of light that now invades the universe,
artificial light ... whatever the intensity of the light, the work will function a
nyway ... those black-outs that occasionally happen will trigger off an emotional -
communicative level. They betray a certain expectation: that a picture should
always be viewed in complete daylight. The clock´s circular form is reiterated
obsessively, marking its sense of repetition... tick... tock... the rhythm slows
as the light increases, eventually reaching its acme like a sort of overexposed
artificial solstice. Three flashes then shoot through the space and the light
suddenly blacks-out: the darkness is disconcerting, making viewing less certain,
but not preventing the works from making their presence felt. This is where the
wait begins, the gift of reawakening, the general public gathers its thoughts.
Then light comes back and regains all its energy. Followed by another extremely
quick black-out, as fast as the public´s reaction ... (Claudio Ceritelli, "la
sperimentazione serena di Isgro´, in Emilio Isgro´ − L´ora italiana , Grafis
edizioni , 1986 (pgg 33-40)
Bologna, Italy