Concealment and Disclosure

Axel Vervoordt Gallery Hong Kong is pleased to present Concealment and Disclosure, a solo exhibition by Belgian artist Renato Nicolodi. Concealment and Disclosure debuts work on paper and a video work, alongside six acrylic paintings on canvas and two monumental concrete sculptures.

Nicolodi’s visual language is always universal; the architecture is archetypal. Swiss psychotherapist Carl Gustav Jung defined archetypes as fundamental, universal symbolic images and patterns deeply rooted in humanity’s collective unconscious, activated by cultural symbols, among others. For Nicolodi, they are architectural constructions spanning the entire human building history, from ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, or Mesopotamia, to the brutalism of the second half of last century, or even more recent scenographies and constructions. Titles of artworks sometimes still provide an impetus for interpretation, recalling antiquity: an “Aedes”, for example, to which the large concrete sculpture owes its title, was the central sacred space or sanctuary in which the statue of the gods stood in a Roman temple. But Nicolodi’s vocabulary transcends narrow definitions of styles, periods of cultural history, or even time in general. “Universal” can also be interpreted in the sense of “timeless”.

Emptiness is a repeating universal and psychological concept, and it is recurrent in Nicolodi’s work, leaving it vacant for interpretations and readings by viewers. It can be interpreted that Jung’s uncharted territories of our minds, in summary, are realms of emptiness. But the concept of emptiness has also been elaborated in concepts from the philosophy of other continents: for example, the Japanese concept of Ma embraces emptiness as a dynamic force of contemplation, creativity, or deeper experiences. Compare also with the concept of Kong (空): emptiness as a state of openness that creates space for reflection, growth, or development. There are no concrete or “correct” interpretations in Nicolodi’s universal constructions. However, some of the architectural forms evoke memories of totalitarian, imperialist regimes throughout world history. The artist seems to ask, “How do we deal with this heritage? Can inherent artistic qualities be appreciated even if they recall periods we would rather not be reminded of?” Again, a contrast is the starting point of reflections and possible conversations.

Concealment and Disclosure shows further artistic discoveries: for the first time, a video work, which is a meditative journey between two extremes—a virtual walk where an architectural space unfolds. The works on paper are also a new elaboration: here it is the material itself that provides the relief, and the feeling of mentally entering a depth, through stairs.

Axel Vervoordt

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