6th International Symposium in stone leccese. Gallipoli, Italy, 18 – 29 November 2021

MATERIA PRIMA. Stone leccese.

The work refers to Plato´s philosophical concept of MATERIA (a matter), examined from the metaphysical point of view. It is indefinite and amorphous, and may become everything. Like a face with closed eyes – it is “blind”, it is only a potentiality, formless without an act of creation.

I wanted to explore the MATTER of this stone. Inspired by the landscapes and nature of Salento region, I created simple shapes and patterns found around: sea, rocks, shells, sand. Carving the stone leccese, I wanted to experience the pure and spontaneous act of creation and transforming the material. I found this purity in the archaic art of prehistoric tribes, in particular,  the images  of the Neolithic painting of La Grotta dei Cervi (Dear Cave – 6000 to 5000 years BP) located along the Salento coast, near the place I work.