Saverio Bonelli invites us to stop for a moment to contemplate the intricacies of language and physical signals of connection. For him gestures hold many more layers of communication than do mere words. He admits his stuttering highlights interruptions and pauses in places that would not naturally be noticed in the communication process. The pauses bring dissonances, presenting new angles in the communicative field between individuals and within themselves. These hesitations also bring about new ideas for Saverio to work on in his art. Through the creative process he researches the connection between language, spoken word and body expressions, decomposing each from another and making his own combinations of body language in communication.

His work also includes environmental issues as well as storylines from Greek mythology and the mythological footprint of a human. For Saverio the reduction to the most simple idea before the work is finished requires a lot of energy and consistency while keeping his main goal in mind for the end result. It can be a demanding process to decide what to leave and what to abandon. However this is a necessary step in finishing the art work as “simply” as possible. To him the art work must be precise while opening up the questions for thought at the same time.

Communication from different angles

As he puts it, “the creative process is naturally influenced both by the baggage of life I carry and the need to visually and sensorially represent the surrounding reality, akin to a flâneur amidst the crowd.”  In his art he depicts his own feelings and communicates with the world delving into the process of experimentation with the materials and deconstructing the process of communication into separate bodies. He interprets various aspects of the communication although sometimes the end result can be purely documentary.

images by PILOTENKUECHE or supplied by artist

Mostly he uses sculpture as his main technique, but during his residency at PILOTENKUECHE, he has opted to explore using time based media to challenge himself and his research. For him the artwork is the result of a creative process, a visual and sensory expression of the artist’s perception of reality. Verbalization of an art work is the translation of this visual reasoning into words. Also the verbalisation process itself gives context and additional understanding to the viewer and in Saverio’s work they operate on two distinct levels. In the end both are intertwined, but during the creation process require different modes of thinking. 

Creating and building relationships

For him having external deadlines from others (like art curators or exhibition opening) helps to focus while making decisions and without too much hesitation. Saverio is based in Carrara, Italy, currently represented by GALLERIA GAGLIARDI located in San Gimignano. He mentions each gallery is different to build relationships with and one should consider it’s size, curatorial approach and target audience before making agreements. The most important – an artist’s work fits the curatorial philosophy and target audience of the gallery.