Saturday, February 25, 2023
Saturday, Feb. 25 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM
Free with Museum Admission
Come meet the artist behind the exhibition during the closing weekend of Federico Solmi: Joie De Vivre! Federico Solmi will be in the gallery on February 25 to discuss his work, process, and how his work is evolving. The artist will be available to sign the related catalog, Federico Solmi: Escape Into the Metaverse, during this event.
Federico Solmi is a multimedia artist who examines the absurdities of the human experience through the lenses of colonialism, nationalism, religion, and consumerism. Born in 1973 in Bologna, Italy, Solmi has lived and worked in Brooklyn, New York, since 1999. His figurative narratives reflect the perspective of a cultural voyeur in the United States, questioning the nationalistic and revisionist histories often presented as historical truths. Solmi creates narrative video sequences built from traditional techniques of painting, drawing, and sculpture combined with technological approaches of animation, video game design, programming, and virtual reality. Through these narrative video constructs, Solmi presents a satirical, dystopian vision of lurid colors and grotesque imagery which challenge society’s constructed memory and historical mythos. The art of Paolo Uccello, Giorgio Morandi, and Giorgio di Chirico serve as reference for his visual compositions, while the writings of Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, and Oriana Fallaci serve as inspiration for his social and political commentary.
Federico Solmi: Joie De Vivre is made possible through the generous support of the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation.
Additional general operating support for the exhibition is provided by Luis De Jesus Los Angeles.
We are pleased to acknowledge the Ronald Feldman Gallery where the Morris Museum first discovered the work of Federico Solmi.
Image Caption: Federico Solmi, Joie De Vivre (IX), Oprah Winfrey and Warren Buffett, 2021, Soft pastels, white pen and ink, gouache on wood panel, 60 x 36 x 1 in. (152.5 x 91.5 x 2.5 cm)
