Today we want to tell you about two beautiful works from the INSIDE exhibition by Orticanoodles at the Francesco Messina Studio Museum (which if you haven’t visited yet, we absolutely recommend!). The works are #3 and #5.
As you already know, Orticanoodles is a collective of artists famous for the beautiful murals they create in Milan.
But why do we want to tell you about these two works?
Simple! Because they allow us to make a very clear comparison with the works of Francesco Messina. As you may know, in facts, in INSIDE the works of Orticanoodles constantly dialogue with the sculptural works of Messina, allowing new connections.
The first thing we must notice is the attention towards the human body and the female portrait (accorciato), point of conjunction between the production of Orticanoodles and Francesco Messina. These works by Messina are a tribute to two great dancers from Milan: Luciana Savignano (#3) and Carla Fracci (#5).
They are not realistic portraits, but rather expressionist ones in which there are few essential features. Transfigured through the use of the stencil and pop – which are typical elements in the production of Orticanoodles, and through the reinterpretation of the same portraits of Messina, these representations reveal the deep, strong, delicate and sensitive soul of these famous étoiles.
From a formal point of view, the two works are atypical compared to a more conventional sculptural production, even by Francesco Messina himself. In fact, it is rare to find painted sculptures: combining sculpture and painting is destabilizing, if we think of the classic white marbles and bronzes. And here we find another point of contact: despite the fact that the works of Orticanoodles are presented as works that find their natural collocation hanging on a wall, it is possible to notice a certain three-dimensionality of the volumes, given by the rhythm created by the decomposition of the laths and by the plasticity rendered by the bright colors. We can therefore consider them sculptural!
As we explained inthe blog, another major theme of INSIDE is the continuous exchange between inside and outside. The third point of encounter between the great artists that we want to unveil to you concerns an unprecedented production, outside the space of the museum: the great mural realized by the collective starting from February 15th in via Borsieri, in Milan. Here comes to life a majestic mural, which pays tribute to the third and last great Milanese dancer: Aida Accolla, muse of Messina.
This is how Orticanoodles completes the exhibition, with a large outdoor mural, made through the same characteristics of the indoor works: configurations and reconfigurations of colored strips.
Interesting, isn’t it?
What are you waiting for? Go and admire the last dancer in Via Borsieri in Milan, and if you haven’t visited the exhibition yet, we suggest you do! Until March 21st, 2021 in Via San Sisto 4, Milan.
Until next time! 🙂