Matteo Vettorello is a visual artist who works on new technologies through devices capable of quantifying incalculable elements: the moods of people with respect to places, the degree of harmony achieved between users, the emotion expressed by a space. At the Art Project Space 10 & zero one in Venice he surpassed himself with the work Tuning Space. This intersection between technology and contemporary art has a history that dates back to the avant-garde from the 20th century and it is good to tell it briefly.
Matteo Vettorello, Tuning space, installation view at 10 & zero uno, photo by Filippo Molena, courtesy 10 & zero uno, Venezia
In the 1960s and 1970s, artists such as Nam June Paik and Wolf Vostell centered their work on the television screen and videotape. These pioneers helped found the video art movement, thus laying the foundation for digital art. In the 1980s, the advent of personal computers opened up further possibilities. Digital artwork has become popular and artists have started using creative software to create images, sound and animation. In those years artists like Bill Viola were already light years ahead of many other authors, without forgetting that from then on the phenomenon of new technologies would only become more mainstream.
Matteo Vettorello, Tuning space, installation view at 10 & zero uno, photo by Filippo Molena, courtesy 10 & zero uno, Venezia
Over time, new technologies have continued to evolve and influence contemporary arts, interactive art for example, engages the public through the use of sensors and digital interfaces. Artists can create installations that respond to viewers’ movements or actions, creating immersive experiences. Other examples of new technologies in the contemporary arts include virtual reality and augmented reality. With the help of these technologies, it is possible to create virtual environments or superimpose digital elements on the real world, opening up new possibilities for creative exploration. In this band of experimentation and innovation I would include the work of Matteo Vettorello.
Matteo Vettorello, Tuning space, installation view at 10 & zero uno, photo by Filippo Molena, courtesy 10 & zero uno, Venezia
Vettorello currently has a solo show at the 10 & zero uno project space in Venice entitled: Tuning Space – R.B.V.O.T.L. 04 curated by Chiara Boscolo and Sara d’Alessandro Manozzo, an exhibition that opened on 18 May last, but given the great impact of visits and interest from the public, has been extended until 31 August 2023. The Venetian artist tunes, referring not only to musical instruments but also to means such as the radio, even if the linguistic reference has the double value of being on the same wavelength. The installation is composed of different elements (such as the winch, the chain, the club lights) in order to be able to “tune” a sound that each visitor can generate at the entrance of the gallery, so that the program can make everything move and you generate a reworked sound, lights at a specific time without ever replicating with other visitors. The result is a sort of dress rehearsal of a technological marvel without the aid of AI.
Matteo Vettorello, Tuning space, installation view at 10 & zero uno, photo by Filippo Molena, courtesy 10 & zero uno, Venezia
Vettorello with his work shows us that the relationships, the differences between every human being can be overcome, shared, understood or experienced in a single great artwork: existence. Artificial intelligence is still far from being able to produce feelings so strong and capable of creating artworks of such impact and beauty. So, if you’re passing through Venice these days, the must-see is the Vettorello exhibition at 10 & zero uno, in order to take part in this initiation of the new world to come.
Francesco Liggieri
Info:
Matteo Vettorello, Tuning Space– R.B.V.O.T.L. 04
18/05/2023 – 31/08/2023
10 & zero uno
Castello 1830, Venezia
10zerouno.com
Independent artist and curator. Founder of No Title Gallery in 2011. I observe, study, ask questions, take informations and live in contemporary art, a real stimulus for my research.
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