The artist Erik Saglia signs the flagship image of the 2023 edition of La Grande Invasione and becomes the protagonist of a site-specific installation in the heart of Ivrea. La Grande Invasione has always been a city-wide festival, capable of animating numerous city locations through talks and exhibitions; among these is the Museo Civico Pier Alessandro Garda, which with its central location represents a point of reference and meeting for the event. It is precisely in this place that Erik Saglia returns to confront architecture through a project that involves the installation of a body of unpublished works in which, for the first time, the artist confronts the elliptical form.
The artist has based his research on Lagrangian points. Those places positioned on the Earth's orbit where the gravitational force of our planet perfectly balances with the sun. Objects located in these orbital points remain constantly suspended in relation to the Earth and the Sun. In these territories of space-time, suspended places are born, points of equilibrium where matter seems to oscillate in a state of perfect stillness. Magical intervals where the force of gravity and the kinetics of bodies find a harmonious synthesis, a perfect dance in an otherwise chaotic universe. The CEILING N. 2 project, composed of the works entitled "Lagrange L2" and "Lagrange L3," guides our gaze towards a different perspective, a "pause from the hyperconnected and hyperactive world" that characterizes our daily lives, making us reflect on the importance of balance. These suspended points of view tell of a harmony and stability achievable through the interaction of different forces, seemingly opposite and irreconcilable. By exploring new spaces of tranquility in a universe that tends towards disorder, we can find a sense of order and balance. Saglia's artistic practice involves repeated overlapping of materials - wood, spray paint, paper adhesive tape, frottage with wax or oil pastels, and epoxy resin - in order to create works that intrigue the viewer. Through these juxtapositions and material coexistences, his works explore the language of geometric abstraction and the organization/perception of social space in the digital age. Delving into concepts such as cosmogony, pregenesis, apocalyptic scenarios, and interstellar travel, among others, and always creating a dialogue with the containing nature of the exhibition space, Saglia continues his research on the essence of the ever-evolving grid.
CEILING N.2 is made possible thanks to the support of Gianmario Pilo and La Grande Invasione and thanks to the collaboration of Dr. Paola Mantovani for the Civic Museum P.A. Garda.
June 1, 2023
