Human Inhuman by Marcella Magaletti
With the exhibition 'Human Inhuman,' Akira Zakamoto explores new themes through an unprecedented expressive language. The show focuses on the complex, evolving relationship between the human, the inhuman and nature, addressing the theme of transformation and the poetics of mutation.
The project arises from the artist's most recent research, collected in the book 'Human Inhuman,' in which he investigates the passage from the human toward super-, sub- or trans-human dimensions, proposing a critical vision of the present. In a world where technology yearns for a future of harmony and progress, the artist underlines the contradictions of the present: war, ignorance and environmental devastation. These tensions are reflected in the reaction of nature, which, from oppressed, rebels, engulfing humanity and its creations in a cycle of destruction and rebirth.
The ten large canvases, imposing in size and chromatic richness, embody a complex and fascinating dialogue between the human world and the natural one, taking inspiration from the poems that act as a narrative and symbolic subtext. The choice to represent female faces and flowers in forms that oscillate between the figurative and the stylised invites the observer to explore a layered tale, interweaving themes of transformation, beauty and spiritual connection with nature.
The inclusion of essential oils with floral fragrances represents a bold, synaesthetic innovation that expands the art of painting into an experience involving not only sight but also smell, making the works alive and tangible.
Zakamoto's exhibition takes shape as an immersive, layered experience, in which the public is called to identify with a dreamlike video that explores uniform urban landscapes, liminal spaces and metaphysical dimensions. The choice to project the video in a loop creates a fluid, suspended temporality, where the observer loses the sense of time and finds themselves caught in a shared journey that has neither a beginning nor an end.
The soundtrack, a central element of the project, amplifies the impact of the images through a hypnotic, recursive rhythm. In it emerges a clear homage to the feature film 'Umano, non umano' by Mario Schifano, a masterpiece of Italian experimental cinema which, with its recurring heartbeat, connected heterogeneous visual fragments. Zakamoto takes up this intuition and reinterprets it, using the sound of the heart as a universal symbol and rhythmic archetype, able to unite seemingly alien landscapes and build a sensory unity that transcends the narrative dimension.
At the same time, the video recalls Nietzsche's philosophical work 'Human, All Too Human,' proposing an anti-metaphysical vision that moves away from the romantic, mystical ideal to embrace a rational, disenchanted analysis. Zakamoto places himself in continuity with this reflection but reformulates it in visual and sonic terms: his liminal spaces are not so much places of transition toward an elsewhere as the symbol of an absence of definitive resolution, a refusal of any system of thought that claims to close the circle.
Zakamoto's research thus stands in sharp contrast with any cerebral approach that aims to explain the world through logical or metaphysical structures, opposing to it an experience that feeds on ambiguity, where the journey is not linear and the images become bearers of a multiplicity of meanings.
We can affirm that this exhibition presents itself as a contemporary manifesto of the anti-metaphysical, able to dialogue with the past avant-gardes without replicating them, but translating them into a language suited to the sensibility of our time. The interweaving of the visual, the sonic and the philosophical makes this exhibition not only an artistic event but also a profound aesthetic reflection on our relationship with reality and its boundaries.
The project arises from the artist's most recent research, collected in the book 'Human Inhuman,' in which he investigates the passage from the human toward super-, sub- or trans-human dimensions, proposing a critical vision of the present. In a world where technology yearns for a future of harmony and progress, the artist underlines the contradictions of the present: war, ignorance and environmental devastation. These tensions are reflected in the reaction of nature, which, from oppressed, rebels, engulfing humanity and its creations in a cycle of destruction and rebirth.
The ten large canvases, imposing in size and chromatic richness, embody a complex and fascinating dialogue between the human world and the natural one, taking inspiration from the poems that act as a narrative and symbolic subtext. The choice to represent female faces and flowers in forms that oscillate between the figurative and the stylised invites the observer to explore a layered tale, interweaving themes of transformation, beauty and spiritual connection with nature.
The inclusion of essential oils with floral fragrances represents a bold, synaesthetic innovation that expands the art of painting into an experience involving not only sight but also smell, making the works alive and tangible.
Zakamoto's exhibition takes shape as an immersive, layered experience, in which the public is called to identify with a dreamlike video that explores uniform urban landscapes, liminal spaces and metaphysical dimensions. The choice to project the video in a loop creates a fluid, suspended temporality, where the observer loses the sense of time and finds themselves caught in a shared journey that has neither a beginning nor an end.
The soundtrack, a central element of the project, amplifies the impact of the images through a hypnotic, recursive rhythm. In it emerges a clear homage to the feature film 'Umano, non umano' by Mario Schifano, a masterpiece of Italian experimental cinema which, with its recurring heartbeat, connected heterogeneous visual fragments. Zakamoto takes up this intuition and reinterprets it, using the sound of the heart as a universal symbol and rhythmic archetype, able to unite seemingly alien landscapes and build a sensory unity that transcends the narrative dimension.
At the same time, the video recalls Nietzsche's philosophical work 'Human, All Too Human,' proposing an anti-metaphysical vision that moves away from the romantic, mystical ideal to embrace a rational, disenchanted analysis. Zakamoto places himself in continuity with this reflection but reformulates it in visual and sonic terms: his liminal spaces are not so much places of transition toward an elsewhere as the symbol of an absence of definitive resolution, a refusal of any system of thought that claims to close the circle.
Zakamoto's research thus stands in sharp contrast with any cerebral approach that aims to explain the world through logical or metaphysical structures, opposing to it an experience that feeds on ambiguity, where the journey is not linear and the images become bearers of a multiplicity of meanings.
We can affirm that this exhibition presents itself as a contemporary manifesto of the anti-metaphysical, able to dialogue with the past avant-gardes without replicating them, but translating them into a language suited to the sensibility of our time. The interweaving of the visual, the sonic and the philosophical makes this exhibition not only an artistic event but also a profound aesthetic reflection on our relationship with reality and its boundaries.
Con la mostra “Umano Disumano”, Akira Zakamoto esplora nuove tematiche attraverso un linguaggio espressivo inedito. L'esposizione si concentra sul complesso rapporto in evoluzione tra l'umano, l'inumano e la natura, affrontando il tema della trasformazione e della poetica della mutazione.
Il progetto nasce dalla più recente ricerca dell’artista, raccolta nel libro “Umano Disumano” in cui indaga il passaggio dall’umano verso dimensioni super-, sub- o trans-umane, proponendo una visione critica del presente. In un mondo in cui la tecnologia anela a un futuro di armonia e progresso, l'artista sottolinea le contraddizioni del presente: guerra, ignoranza e devastazione ambientale. Queste tensioni si riflettono nella reazione della natura, che da oppressa si ribella, inglobando l'umanitàe le sue creazioni in un ciclo di distruzione e rinascita.
Le dieci grandi tele, imponenti per dimensioni e ricchezza cromatica, incarnano un dialogo complesso e affascinante tra il mondo umano e quello naturale, prendendo ispirazione dalle poesie che fungono da sotto testo narrativo e simbolico. La scelta di rappresentare volti femminili e fiori in forme che oscillano tra il figurativo e lo stilizzato invita l'osservatore a esplorare un racconto stratificato, che intreccia temi di trasformazione, bellezza e connessione spirituale con la natura.
L'inclusione di oli essenziali dalle fragranze floreali rappresenta un'innovazione audace e sinestetica che espande l'arte pittorica in un’esperienza che coinvolge non solo la vista, ma anche l'olfatto, rendendo le opere vive e tangibili.
La mostra di Zakamoto si configura come un’esperienza immersiva e stratificata, in cui il pubblico è chiamato a immedesimarsi in un video onirico che esplora paesaggi urbani uniformi, spazi liminali e dimensioni metafisiche. La scelta di proiettare il video in loop crea una temporalitàfluida, sospesa, dove l’osservatore perde la cognizione del tempo e si ritrova intrappolato in un viaggio condiviso che non ha né un inizio né una fine.
La colonna sonora, elemento centrale del progetto, amplifica l’impatto delle immagini attraverso un ritmo ipnotico e ricorsivo. In essa emerge un chiaro omaggio al lungometraggio “Umano, non umano” di Mario Schifano, capolavoro del cinema sperimentale italiano che, con il suo battito cardiaco ricorrente, connetteva frammenti visivi eterogenei. Zakamoto riprende questa intuizione e la reinterpreta utilizzando il suono del cuore come simbolo universale e archetipo ritmico, capace di unire paesaggi apparentemente alieni e costruire un’unitàsensoriale che travalica la dimensione narrativa.
Allo stesso tempo, il video richiama l’opera filosofica “Umano, troppo umano” di Nietzsche, proponendo una visione antimetafisica che si allontana dall’ideale romantico e mistico per abbracciare un’analisi razionale e disincantata. Zakamoto si pone in continuitàcon questa riflessione, ma la riformula in chiave visiva e sonora: i suoi spazi liminali non sono tanto luoghi di transizione verso un altrove, quanto il simbolo di un’assenza di risoluzione definitiva, un rifiuto di qualsiasi sistema di pensiero che pretenda di chiudere il cerchio.
La ricerca di Zakamoto si posiziona quindi in netto contrasto con ogni approccio cerebrale che mira a spiegare il mondo attraverso strutture logiche o metafisiche, opponendovi un’esperienza che si
nutre di ambiguità, dove il viaggio non è lineare e le immagini si fanno portatrici di una molteplicitàdi significati.
Possiamo affermare che questa mostra si presenta come un manifesto contemporaneo dell’antimetafisica, capace di dialogare con le avanguardie passate senza replicarle, ma traducendole in un linguaggio conforme alla sensibilitàdel nostro tempo. L’intreccio tra visivo, sonoro e filosofico fa di questa esposizione non solo un evento artistico, ma anche una profonda riflessione estetica sul nostro rapporto con la realtàe i suoi confini.
Il progetto nasce dalla più recente ricerca dell’artista, raccolta nel libro “Umano Disumano” in cui indaga il passaggio dall’umano verso dimensioni super-, sub- o trans-umane, proponendo una visione critica del presente. In un mondo in cui la tecnologia anela a un futuro di armonia e progresso, l'artista sottolinea le contraddizioni del presente: guerra, ignoranza e devastazione ambientale. Queste tensioni si riflettono nella reazione della natura, che da oppressa si ribella, inglobando l'umanitàe le sue creazioni in un ciclo di distruzione e rinascita.
Le dieci grandi tele, imponenti per dimensioni e ricchezza cromatica, incarnano un dialogo complesso e affascinante tra il mondo umano e quello naturale, prendendo ispirazione dalle poesie che fungono da sotto testo narrativo e simbolico. La scelta di rappresentare volti femminili e fiori in forme che oscillano tra il figurativo e lo stilizzato invita l'osservatore a esplorare un racconto stratificato, che intreccia temi di trasformazione, bellezza e connessione spirituale con la natura.
L'inclusione di oli essenziali dalle fragranze floreali rappresenta un'innovazione audace e sinestetica che espande l'arte pittorica in un’esperienza che coinvolge non solo la vista, ma anche l'olfatto, rendendo le opere vive e tangibili.
La mostra di Zakamoto si configura come un’esperienza immersiva e stratificata, in cui il pubblico è chiamato a immedesimarsi in un video onirico che esplora paesaggi urbani uniformi, spazi liminali e dimensioni metafisiche. La scelta di proiettare il video in loop crea una temporalitàfluida, sospesa, dove l’osservatore perde la cognizione del tempo e si ritrova intrappolato in un viaggio condiviso che non ha né un inizio né una fine.
La colonna sonora, elemento centrale del progetto, amplifica l’impatto delle immagini attraverso un ritmo ipnotico e ricorsivo. In essa emerge un chiaro omaggio al lungometraggio “Umano, non umano” di Mario Schifano, capolavoro del cinema sperimentale italiano che, con il suo battito cardiaco ricorrente, connetteva frammenti visivi eterogenei. Zakamoto riprende questa intuizione e la reinterpreta utilizzando il suono del cuore come simbolo universale e archetipo ritmico, capace di unire paesaggi apparentemente alieni e costruire un’unitàsensoriale che travalica la dimensione narrativa.
Allo stesso tempo, il video richiama l’opera filosofica “Umano, troppo umano” di Nietzsche, proponendo una visione antimetafisica che si allontana dall’ideale romantico e mistico per abbracciare un’analisi razionale e disincantata. Zakamoto si pone in continuitàcon questa riflessione, ma la riformula in chiave visiva e sonora: i suoi spazi liminali non sono tanto luoghi di transizione verso un altrove, quanto il simbolo di un’assenza di risoluzione definitiva, un rifiuto di qualsiasi sistema di pensiero che pretenda di chiudere il cerchio.
La ricerca di Zakamoto si posiziona quindi in netto contrasto con ogni approccio cerebrale che mira a spiegare il mondo attraverso strutture logiche o metafisiche, opponendovi un’esperienza che si
nutre di ambiguità, dove il viaggio non è lineare e le immagini si fanno portatrici di una molteplicitàdi significati.
Possiamo affermare che questa mostra si presenta come un manifesto contemporaneo dell’antimetafisica, capace di dialogare con le avanguardie passate senza replicarle, ma traducendole in un linguaggio conforme alla sensibilitàdel nostro tempo. L’intreccio tra visivo, sonoro e filosofico fa di questa esposizione non solo un evento artistico, ma anche una profonda riflessione estetica sul nostro rapporto con la realtàe i suoi confini.
With the exhibition 'Human Inhuman,' Akira Zakamoto explores new themes through an unprecedented expressive language. The show focuses on the complex, evolving relationship between the human, the inhuman and nature, addressing the theme of transformation and the poetics of mutation.
The project arises from the artist's most recent research, collected in the book 'Human Inhuman,' in which he investigates the passage from the human toward super-, sub- or trans-human dimensions, proposing a critical vision of the present. In a world where technology yearns for a future of harmony and progress, the artist underlines the contradictions of the present: war, ignorance and environmental devastation. These tensions are reflected in the reaction of nature, which, from oppressed, rebels, engulfing humanity and its creations in a cycle of destruction and rebirth.
The ten large canvases, imposing in size and chromatic richness, embody a complex and fascinating dialogue between the human world and the natural one, taking inspiration from the poems that act as a narrative and symbolic subtext. The choice to represent female faces and flowers in forms that oscillate between the figurative and the stylised invites the observer to explore a layered tale, interweaving themes of transformation, beauty and spiritual connection with nature.
The inclusion of essential oils with floral fragrances represents a bold, synaesthetic innovation that expands the art of painting into an experience involving not only sight but also smell, making the works alive and tangible.
Zakamoto's exhibition takes shape as an immersive, layered experience, in which the public is called to identify with a dreamlike video that explores uniform urban landscapes, liminal spaces and metaphysical dimensions. The choice to project the video in a loop creates a fluid, suspended temporality, where the observer loses the sense of time and finds themselves caught in a shared journey that has neither a beginning nor an end.
The soundtrack, a central element of the project, amplifies the impact of the images through a hypnotic, recursive rhythm. In it emerges a clear homage to the feature film 'Umano, non umano' by Mario Schifano, a masterpiece of Italian experimental cinema which, with its recurring heartbeat, connected heterogeneous visual fragments. Zakamoto takes up this intuition and reinterprets it, using the sound of the heart as a universal symbol and rhythmic archetype, able to unite seemingly alien landscapes and build a sensory unity that transcends the narrative dimension.
At the same time, the video recalls Nietzsche's philosophical work 'Human, All Too Human,' proposing an anti-metaphysical vision that moves away from the romantic, mystical ideal to embrace a rational, disenchanted analysis. Zakamoto places himself in continuity with this reflection but reformulates it in visual and sonic terms: his liminal spaces are not so much places of transition toward an elsewhere as the symbol of an absence of definitive resolution, a refusal of any system of thought that claims to close the circle.
Zakamoto's research thus stands in sharp contrast with any cerebral approach that aims to explain the world through logical or metaphysical structures, opposing to it an experience that feeds on ambiguity, where the journey is not linear and the images become bearers of a multiplicity of meanings.
We can affirm that this exhibition presents itself as a contemporary manifesto of the anti-metaphysical, able to dialogue with the past avant-gardes without replicating them, but translating them into a language suited to the sensibility of our time. The interweaving of the visual, the sonic and the philosophical makes this exhibition not only an artistic event but also a profound aesthetic reflection on our relationship with reality and its boundaries.
The project arises from the artist's most recent research, collected in the book 'Human Inhuman,' in which he investigates the passage from the human toward super-, sub- or trans-human dimensions, proposing a critical vision of the present. In a world where technology yearns for a future of harmony and progress, the artist underlines the contradictions of the present: war, ignorance and environmental devastation. These tensions are reflected in the reaction of nature, which, from oppressed, rebels, engulfing humanity and its creations in a cycle of destruction and rebirth.
The ten large canvases, imposing in size and chromatic richness, embody a complex and fascinating dialogue between the human world and the natural one, taking inspiration from the poems that act as a narrative and symbolic subtext. The choice to represent female faces and flowers in forms that oscillate between the figurative and the stylised invites the observer to explore a layered tale, interweaving themes of transformation, beauty and spiritual connection with nature.
The inclusion of essential oils with floral fragrances represents a bold, synaesthetic innovation that expands the art of painting into an experience involving not only sight but also smell, making the works alive and tangible.
Zakamoto's exhibition takes shape as an immersive, layered experience, in which the public is called to identify with a dreamlike video that explores uniform urban landscapes, liminal spaces and metaphysical dimensions. The choice to project the video in a loop creates a fluid, suspended temporality, where the observer loses the sense of time and finds themselves caught in a shared journey that has neither a beginning nor an end.
The soundtrack, a central element of the project, amplifies the impact of the images through a hypnotic, recursive rhythm. In it emerges a clear homage to the feature film 'Umano, non umano' by Mario Schifano, a masterpiece of Italian experimental cinema which, with its recurring heartbeat, connected heterogeneous visual fragments. Zakamoto takes up this intuition and reinterprets it, using the sound of the heart as a universal symbol and rhythmic archetype, able to unite seemingly alien landscapes and build a sensory unity that transcends the narrative dimension.
At the same time, the video recalls Nietzsche's philosophical work 'Human, All Too Human,' proposing an anti-metaphysical vision that moves away from the romantic, mystical ideal to embrace a rational, disenchanted analysis. Zakamoto places himself in continuity with this reflection but reformulates it in visual and sonic terms: his liminal spaces are not so much places of transition toward an elsewhere as the symbol of an absence of definitive resolution, a refusal of any system of thought that claims to close the circle.
Zakamoto's research thus stands in sharp contrast with any cerebral approach that aims to explain the world through logical or metaphysical structures, opposing to it an experience that feeds on ambiguity, where the journey is not linear and the images become bearers of a multiplicity of meanings.
We can affirm that this exhibition presents itself as a contemporary manifesto of the anti-metaphysical, able to dialogue with the past avant-gardes without replicating them, but translating them into a language suited to the sensibility of our time. The interweaving of the visual, the sonic and the philosophical makes this exhibition not only an artistic event but also a profound aesthetic reflection on our relationship with reality and its boundaries.