Working at GIGA, an art studio in close proximity to Piazza Navona, has been a transformative experience. Matteo Peretti, the artist with which I was working, founded the studio GIGA in 1995 with hopes of bringing the contemporary artists together in one space. Today, Peretti works at the studio producing contemporary pieces focusing on many liberal issues that confront the world today.
Working with in a contemporary art studio within Rome gave me a unique insight to the modern art world in the city that is often overshadowed by the works of antiquity filling the ancient city. Watching Peretti work on a weekly basis was inspirational. He worked with configured many small objects and turned them into monochrome sculptures that one could observe for hours. Many of his works are composed of small toys that have been strewn to the side by their previous owners. Peretti meticulously chooses and arranges these toys to communicate a message to his viewer. Once the toys are arranged, Peretti spray paints his creation, creating a monochrome masterpiece.
Having worked in the GIGA studio for the past two months, I would say that there is a very liberal philosophy in the studio that lends to a forum for contemporary thoughts and creations to be developed in the form of visual art. The site mainly focuses on the creation of art and also serves as a gallery for art shows where artists and critics alike are able to join thoughts. The GIGA studio is a space where any and all ideas are contemplated and accepted.
Initially entering the studio in the beginning of January, I was unsure of what to expect. However, as I began to work in the studio I began to recognize the beauty of what was being created there as well as the influence of the studio's location. Having visited the two modern art museums within Rome (MAXXI and MACRO), it is clear that the government ensures their location is outside of the walls of Rome. With GIGA being centrally located within the walls of the city, it means the art created there is able to be viewed by a multitude of individuals. Located just off of the Piazza Navona in an area full of tourists visiting Rome, the studio is constantly walked past by curious observers. During the months I spend in the studio, countless visitors peered through the windows and often requested to come inside to view the work that was being created. At the beginning of my internship, prior to my visiting of MACRO and MAXXI, I did not realize the significance of this central location.
Only working at the studio for a period of two months, there are many questions that I would like to learn about contemporary art within Rome. I would like to know the role of contemporary art within the city today. With the pressure of antiquity seen throughout the city, I wonder about the pressures that plague the artists to aspire to the ancient greats of Italy such as Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bernini. Furthermore, I am interested to know how the powerful ideas of contemporary art are perceived in a country with an extreme right wing government. I also wish I was in Italy longer in order to see Matteo's upcoming show during May in Venice. In order to find out the answers to my questions, I could interview artists throughout Rome and interpret their takes on contemporary art within the city. To further get information, I could see if there are any literary pieces concerning the idea of contemporary art within an ancient city.
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