Artists' portfolio: Loris Cecchini, the visionary transformation of reality

In the artistic journey of Loris Cecchini (Milan 1969), photography, sculpture, drawing, environmental installation merge into a unitary poetics. A set of practices, which cross over from one technique to another, outside a single privileged language and in relation to many elements of knowledge. Objects replicated in full scale and reproduced in gray urethane rubber, appear as helpless, folded in on themselves. Multiple collages, as sets linked to the totality of the work. Micro-architectures, reinvented caravans and tree houses, structurally distorted spaces, transparent roofs and prismatic surfaces. Digitally recreated virtual/physical scenarios, these are the subjects that we find in Cecchini's work. Space architecture, building materials, portions of nature, physical phenomena that manifest themselves in a continuous reference, giving rise to an index of visions and processes stratified in the works, where designing itself emerges as an idea and ideal of the completed work. Photography and sculpture, where he superimposes different levels of reality, interpenetrate in a game between virtuality and simulation, in order to substantially modify the usual knowledge of the reference models. (source Wikipedia)

“I developed my creative language around the ideas of object, model and architecture. Often – explains the artist in a recent interview – the work refers in various ways to the idea of ​​inhabiting space. Today I pursue the space of sculpture and environmental installation following an idea of ​​fragmentation of matter, almost a form of molecular explosion of sculpture, in which scientific phenomenology becomes an intimate structure and means for vision. This happens after many years of research based on the human relationship with curved space, a space where right angles and the Euclidean paradigm yield to organic deformation, pervading the sense of form. What I create from time to time are series of works developed through different media, from watercolors to photography, from large environmental installations to micro-sculptures, a space that is explored and completed by the viewer himself, keeping the idea of ​​a 'double landscape' constant in which the physicality of the materials refers to a virtual design and vice versa".

Cecchini's most recent work focuses on natural and physical phenomena, which become an optical and emotional inventory of the environment. He translates natural systems into algorithms of a non-homogeneous system, both complex and individual, in order to detect the invisible intangible processes of our present. Looking for an analogy between grammar and anatomy, his works contain in their language formulas capable of generating autopoietic systems, its structure is generated, develops or stops just like it happens in an organism. Modular installations are inherently dynamic. The module at the base of the sculpture acts as a "generator code" and the relationships with the space produce a concatenation of variables, which exist in the structure of its development.

Cecchini – as stated on the artist's personal website – has continuously introduced the concept of the organic element as a central element of his work, partly as an exploration of the idea of ​​the object and its intrinsic materiality, but also as a minimalist practice . Acting with the lens of a scientist, Cecchini closely examines his modules starting initially with 3D studies or basic watercolors moving forward towards the particularity of the natural elements
Cecchini's module-based installations, a calculated chain of stainless steel elements originating from his preliminary investigations again using the organism, as a leitmotif in his work to address the intricate evolution of art in relation to the sciences. In a wide range of works, Cecchini joins his steel modules to form the semblance of climbing plants, coral or crystal structures, which organize themselves organically in a series of puzzling contrasting paths with the intentional intention of propagation.

Invited several times to the Venice Biennale (2001, 2005, 2015), the work caused a sensation "BBBreathless” exhibited at the 49th edition (2001) edited by Harald Szemann. Cecchini's work was inspired by an exhibition project on the death penalty, on the occasion of the anniversary of the abrogation that took place in 350th century Italy. The exhibited work was a copy of a single cell (dimensions: 220 x 200 x XNUMX cm). The external rubber structure of the walls was rhythmically modified by the blowing of air which caused it to move, causing an expansion and contraction of the cell, giving rise to a sort of "breathing" of the room.

Exhibition activity

Intense both in Italy and, above all, internationally, with personal exhibitions in prestigious museums including Palais de Tokio (2001, 2005, 2007); Musée d'Art Moderne of Saint-Etienne Métropole (2010); MoMA at PS1 in New York (2006); Duolun MoMA in Shanghai (2006); Casal Solleric Museum in Palma de Mallorca; Galician Center of Contemporary Art in Santiago de Compostella; Kunstverein Heidelberg; Teseco Foundation of Pisa; Quarter of Florence; Luigi Pecci Center for Contemporary Art in Prato (2009); Arnaldo Pomodoro Foundation (2014).

He has been invited to three editions of the Venice Biennale (2001, 2005, 2015). He has also participated in numerous international exhibitions including twice at the Shanghai Biennale (2006, 2012); Quadrennial of Rome; the Taiwan Biennial in Taipei; Valencia Biennial (2001); Carrara International Sculpture Biennial.

He has participated in numerous group exhibitions around the world including the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, the PAC in Milan, Palazzo Fortuny in Venice, Macro Future in Rome, MART in Rovereto, Haywart Gallery in London, The Garage Center for Contemporary Culture Moscow, Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome, Il Musée d'Art Contemporain of Lyon, MOCA Shanghai, Deutsche Bank Kunsthalle Berlin and more.

His works are present in prestigious public and private collections, in Italy and abroad:
Arts & Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, USA
Fattoria Celle, Gori Collection, Pistoia Italy
The Boghossian Foundation, Villa Empain, Brussels
Caldic Collection, Rotterdam, Holland
Musee d'Art Moderne de Saint-Etienne Metropole
MAXXI – National Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome
Suzzara Prize Gallery (Mantova)
VAF-Stiftung Collection, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto
CGAC Galician Center for Contemporary Art, Santiago de Compostela

For the originality of his work he has received numerous awards:
Arnaldo Pomodoro Prize for sculpture, Milan 2014
Moroso Award, Monfalcone 2011
Francesca Alinovi Award, Bologna, 2006
A work for the MAXXI – PARC Young Art Prize 2004/2005, Third edition of the Prize for young Italian art. DARC, MAXXI Rome, The Venice Biennale, 2005
Agenore Fabbri Award and VAF Foundation, 2005

Transfer market

After the excellent performances recorded in the first decade of the 2006s (2011-50), Loris Cecchini's prices have stabilised, especially on the secondary market where, to date, there are about 45 auctions in the various types, with a percentage of around 2017% and a turnover that – according to Artprice – in 6 slightly exceeded 2008 dollars (just one joke). For comparison, in 65 the turnover of the auctions was close to XNUMX dollars. The trend of the primary market is decidedly different, where the artist is managed by prestigious international galleries (Continue just to name one) which, without practicing mercantile pumping, are successfully placing his works (especially large sculptures and installations) in important collections public and private. Considering that the prices are still affordable after all (see the prices chapter below), Cecchini's original and unmistakable work could give good satisfaction in the near future.

Gallery: Its historic reference gallery is Continua, with offices in San Gimignano, Beijing, Les Moulins (Paris) and Havana ( info@galleriacontinua.com  +39 0577 943134 ). Cecchini also works with Diana Lowenstein Gallery of Miami (info@dianalowensteingallery.com) and with Leila Heller Gallery in New York and Dubai (info@leilahellergallery.com)

Prezzi: In the gallery, his sculptures have a price that starts around 15 euros up to and in some cases exceeds 100 euros, depending on the technique used and the size of the work. Large site-specific installations require higher investments, while drawings and photos start at 2-3 thousand euros.

Top price at auction: “Stage Evidence”, Installation (caoutchouc uréthanique) variable dimensions, made in 2000, it fetched 23.050 euros at Sotheby's Milan in November 2007.

Cover image:  Loris Cecchini – Detail see Syllables 2018

branch of sandblasted oak (Quercus ilex), steel modules 285 x 400 cm
photo Ela Bialkowska

courtey of the artist