SWAB Barcelona, 2021
Andrea Monti
October 7-10, 2021
For Swab Barcelona 2021, Transmitter is pleased to present a solo booth of new works by Italian New York-based artist Andrea Monti.
On view in the booth (P5) are selections from a series of photographic compositions by Monti, utilizing Polaroid photographs that are situated within larger UV-printed mat boards. Framed in brushed aluminum to evoke a sense of durability, by opposition the works relate to the ephemerality of diaristic and experimental forms of image making, and a photographic format no longer in existence.
The artist employs iconic, readily identifiable historical imagery, such as New York’s Empire State Building or classic title cards from Merrie Melodies cartoons to serve as the setting over which more recent recollections are layered through an arrangement of instant photos.
The Polaroids allude to the selective way that we choose to recall emotions, events, and narratives—ultimately serving as non-sequiturs to the underlying legacy of images—which are imprinted with a history of corruption, greed, and bloodshed.
By seamlessly contrasting the opaque Polaroids against transparent negative UV prints, Monti suggests the emotional optimism in the moment when one peels back the positive Polaroid photo from its negative impression.
More information about SWAB art fair is available at: swab.es
About the artist:
Andrea Monti is an Italian artist working with installation, video, performance, and photography. His work engages with formal and conceptual concerns while commenting on socio-economic phenomena, often with humor, and with recurrent allusions to pop culture. Monti is co-founder and co-director of Microscope Gallery in Brooklyn, New York. He was born in Lucca, Italy, and lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.