Inauguration Saturday, March 12 at 6pm
"Polyhedra" (room for reading Joyce's Ulysses)


Open:
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
9.00—13.00 14.00—18.00
Friday, Saturday and Sunday
14.00—20.00
or by appointment
Monday closed



In the center of the main space in the church Davide Cascio displays "Polyhedra" (room for reading Joyce's Ulysses), a large polyhedral structure of cardboard accessible through an aperture/door. The polyhedron, made up of 24 sides (each 100 cm. long), is contained within a cubical construction of wood strips (each 260 cm. long) from which 38 neon lamps are hung, illuminating the interior of the volume through the chinks in the cardboard. Artificial white roses are placed in the inside corners of the polyhedron.





As in other recent work by Cascio, "Polyhedra" is both a livable or anthropometric space and was studied primarily as an intellectual construction and then in terms of physics. An introverted and symbolic form, the polyhedron, with a constellation of roses, takes its inspiration from many mathematical, philosophical and literary references ranging from Luca Pacioli and Albrecht Durer's Renaissance culture of perspective to the poetry of Jorge Luis Borges and the literary experiments of James Joyce. In contrast with this complex universe of thought is the "simple" aspect of the structure utilizing packing cardboard and cold neon light to lend the geometric solid the aspect of an architectural model.
The installation is accompanied by a series of seventeen collages concerning the prismatic structure of the polyhedron presented in the entry space.

Davide Cascio
was born in 1976 in Lugano where he lives and works.
He studied at the Scholastic Center for Industrial Arts
in Lugano (1991-1996),
The Academy of Fine Arts in Rome (1996-2000)
and The Athens School of Fine Arts, Athens (1998).
He has done travel research in Egypt (2000-2002),
Tunisia (2002) and Rome (2005, Swiss Institute).

One person shows:
Occiput Vas Alchemicum, Galleria Knulp, Nettuno-Roma (1997);
Pneuma , Zoe Spazio Arte, Rome (1998);
Rivelazioni, Artist's Atelier, Cairo (2001);
Il viaggio dei principi fortunati, Artelier, Lugano (2002).

Group shows (selection):
Allievi di S.T. , Academy of Fine Arts, Rome (1997);
Allievi di S. T., Il Barcone, Rome (1998),
Notti per Anja, Teatro dell'Angelo, Rome (1999);
Atterraggio di fortuna, Luxor Fine Arts University, Egypt (2000);
Che c'è di nuovo? La scena artistica emergenti in Ticino,
Museo Cantonale d'Arte, Lugano (2003, catalog);
Of what similar apparitions did Stephen think?,
Swiss Cultural Center, Milan (2004);
Federal Art Competition, Basel (2004).

Prizes:
First prize for a permanent installation for the Lugano Canton Library (2004); Member of the Swiss Institute, Rome (2004).