From March 20 to May 30, 2026, Galleria Continua / Paris Marais presents Guardatori, the new solo exhibition by Manuela Sedmach. On this occasion, the artist deepens her reflection on the theme of the gaze and on the silent relationship between artwork and viewer, through a layered painting practice in which the image slowly emerges from matter, opening a space of reflection between perception and vision.
Manuela Sedmach, “Em lugar algum”, 2024, acrilico su tela, cm 47 x 57, courtesy l’Artista e Galleria Continua
Elisabetta Zerial: In the project Guardatori there seems to be a reversal of perspective: it is no longer only the viewer who observes the work, but it is as if the painted figures return the gaze. How did this inversion influence your painting process?
Manuela Sedmach: This has always been my way of proceeding in the execution of a work. I spend more time looking than doing, waiting for the other side to suggest how to move forward; it is a silent dialogue. In the case of the Guardatori I believe this becomes evident even for those who look at the work. The painting itself suggests how to proceed. Sometimes I sit in front of the canvas, already begun, waiting for a clue about how to continue. There is deep concentration and responsibility in creating a work. In my opinion the artist is only a partial author; the rest is suggested by the other side. I believe that even the observer standing in front of a work ultimately waits for a suggestion about how to see.
Manuela Sedmach, “Em lugar algum”, 2024, acrilico su tela, cm 47 x 58,5, courtesy l’Artista e Galleria Continua
In your work the image often seems to arise from a fragile balance between appearance and dissolution. How does this moment develop in the studio, when a form slowly begins to emerge from the pictorial matter?
At the beginning the images, signs, traces – or in the case of the Guardatori, the figures – are more evident. As I continue working I dissolve them with layers of glaze in order to move the vision of the subject further away. I often refer to an encounter with the philosopher Pieraldo Rovatti, who in his book The Exercise of Silence perfectly describes this attempt not to give immediate answers to what we see, but rather to extend the time of response. Giving time allows forgotten parts of ourselves to slowly emerge in the viewer. The glazes are precisely this: an invitation to wait.
Manuela Sedmach, “Guardatori”, 2024, acrilico su tela, cm 63 x 73, courtesy l’Artista e Galleria Continua
Looking at your artistic path from the beginning until today, one perceives a progressive shift toward a more suspended and mental dimension of painting. Was this a conscious change or something that revealed itself over time through work?
Certainly time, growing and aging are irreplaceable allies. I often quote the words of Elio Grazioli who, when I asked him “Elio, what am I doing?”, replied: “You must not understand, you must grow, reach what you have done and start again”. Within this path lies the understanding of the work, which is always ahead of the artist. Moving forward, walking, observing what surrounds us and especially what lies deep within ourselves, remembering who we are.
Manuela Sedmach, “Guardatori”, 2024, acrilico su tela, cm 63 x 73, courtesy l’Artista e Galleria Continua
In your paintings time seems to sediment on the surface: stratifications, erasures, returns of the image. How important is it for you to leave space for the unexpected during the painting process?
The unexpected is always lurking. I love mistakes: a small error can divert what I am doing and lead me elsewhere. A wrong mark is not always an error; after the initial dismay, accepting it opens unimaginable paths. Speaking of time, there is a particular aspect that identifies my works: they demand time, the necessary time for everything that awaits the gaze to appear. Everything exists in the moment when there is a Watcher.
Manuela Sedmach, “Guardatori”, 2025, acrilico su tela, cm 63 x 73, courtesy l’Artista e Galleria Continua
The title of the exhibition directly evokes the figure of the viewer. What kind of experience would you like the public to have in front of your works?
Everyone must decide for themselves; there is total freedom. I do not know exactly what these paintings represent; every definition diminishes the value of the work and, for the one who creates it, explaining it is almost impossible. I can say that at home I had the series of Guardatori hanging on a wall and every day they gave me different emotions. Light and the mood with which I observed them fascinated me. Now they are elsewhere, hanging on the walls of Galleria Continua, and when I see them again I know it will be another emotion. My works change every day – they shift, move, vibrate – and that is their beauty.
Manuela Sedmach, “Onde é que estás”, 2024, acrilico su tela, cm 85 x 200, courtesy l’Artista e Galleria Continua
Looking back at your artistic path, is there something you feel you had to “unlearn” in order to arrive at the painting of today?
No, not unlearn. When I look at the past – mistakes, misfortunes, joys and despair – every moment belongs to me. Rather, I must always keep learning, never stop, adding richness to the richness of life in all its aspects, and be grateful for this gift of being an artist. What moves me most is the sense of being an artist, not of doing the artist. It is something that belongs to breath itself, a mission, and I feel the responsibility of allowing a work to live and sharing it with the world. When I see my work exhibited outside my studio it is as if I see it for the first time. Listening to the comments and sensations of viewers is always fascinating. The viewer always completes the work. At the moment a two-person exhibition with Arcangelo Sassolino is being installed at Galleria Continua Le Marais in Paris, and there too it will be like seeing my work for the first time.
Elisabetta Zerial
Info:
Manuela Sedmach, Guardatori
20/03/2026 – 30/05/2026
GALLERIA CONTINUA / Paris Marais
87, Rue du Temple
tel. +33 1 43 70 00 88
paris@galleriacontinua.fr
www.galleriacontinua.com
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