phantom limb 2024
Asphodels are the first plants to appear in an area devastated by fire, as their underground bulbs resist high temperatures. Their name comes from ancient Greek, meaning "the valley of what has not been reduced to ashes." Due to their ability to regenerate from the destructive fury of flames, they were considered plants of the afterlife. The chthonic bulb connects them to the earth's depths, while the tall stem with delicate white flowers connects them to the sky. In my video installation, activated by human presence, the asphodel alters as the visitor approaches the monitor, covering itself with crystalline structures of monoammonium phosphate, a chemical used in agriculture. As the spectator moves away, the crystals dissolve, revealing the natural form of the cut flower. Human passage alters the natural landscape; the crystalline formations, seemingly natural in their organic development, are actually artificial and symbolize human superstructure and our impact on the natural world
Suspended animation, 2024
suspended animation is an installation where an agave flower on which I have grown monoammonium phosphate crystals is suspended over a mirror. This plant, originally from Mexico and brought to Europe around 1600, is known for its extraordinary flowering: every 20 to 30 years, agaves develop a tall central stem laden with inflorescences that attract a multitude of pollinating insects.
This act of exuberant vitality is actually an unmistakable sign of the imminent death of the agave, which, as a final act, uses its last vital forces to produce this dramatic flowering. On the ground, among the lifeless leaves, the new plant will emerge.
I wanted to grow the crystals as if they were inflorescences. The way they develop, climbing materially up the stem, mimics natural processes where, in reality, there is only human artifice.
Note: The text above was written by the Artist. No modification was made by COCA.
Giulia Manfredi
Italy
https://giulia-manfredi.squarespace.com/
Born in Castelfranco Emilia in 1984, Giulia Manfredi resides and works in Rome. She graduated in Painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna in 2008. From 2006 to 2014, she lived in Berlin, attending courses at UDK and collaborating with an international artist collective.
In 2017, she won the 5th Edition of the Cramum Prize, her work has been selected for various prizes and residencies: Artteamcup in 2020 and 2023 curated by Livia savorelli and Matteo Galbiati, REACT residency at CECILIA, Tito. Her collective exhibitions include the Mediterranean Biennale, Ancona (2013); MIC, Faenza (2015); Fuorisalone, Milan (2018); Museo Studio Francesco Messina , Milan (2019), DUALE, Contemporary Cluster, curated by Lorenzo Madaro. Her solo exhibitions include "Dove le Dune", curated by Carmelo Cipriani (2024)"Il Giardino dei Fuggitivi," Rome (2022) curated by Sabino Maria Frassà; and "Regno Sottile," Milan (2019) curated by Sabino Maria Frassà.