CANZONI

ART PROJECT “CANZONI” IS A SERIES OF DIGITAL COLLAGES IN THE SO CALLED URBAN BAROQUE MANNER FEATURING SONNETS BY FRANCESCO PETRARCA FROM THE “CANZONIERE” BOOK. THE WHOLE SERIES WAS CREATED DURING CORONA SELF-ISOLATION PERIOD (APRIL 2020) WHICH INCLUDES SELF-PORTRAIT PHOTOS DIGITALLY COMBINED WITH IMAGES OF EUROPEAN TOMBSTONE ART ALSO KNOWN AS CEMETERY SCULPTURE. THIS IS A DELICATE AND HEARTWARMING OBSERVATION OF THE PANDEMIC AND SELF-ISOLATION DRAWING A PARALLEL WITH THE PESTILENCE OF THE XIV CENTURY THAT COMPLETELY CHANGED ALL THE WORLD SYSTEM, TURNED EVERYTHING UPSIDE DOWN BUT ENDED BY GIVING US THE RENAISSANCE WITH ITS GREATEST DISCOVERIES, HISTORICAL AND ARTISTIC PHENOMENA. THE KEY IDEA OF THE PROJECT IS THAT LIFE IS A DREAM WHERE ALL THE WALLS ARE JUST PRODUCTS OF THE HUMAN CONSCIOUS. BUT ALSO DREAM DOESN’T KNOW LIMITS FOR ART AND CREATION THAT LET US COMPILE AND ANALYZE ALL THE ACCUMULATED INFORMATION CONVERTING IT INTO A BREAKTHROUGH. THE SERIES WAS INSPIRED BY THE LEGEND ABOUT THE GREAT ITALIAN RENAISSANCE POET FRANCESCO PETRARCA AND HIS BELOVED LAURA WHO HE MET IN A CHURCH THE 6TH OF APRIL 1327 AND WHO IS SUPPOSED TO DIE 21 YEARS LATER APRIL THE 6TH OF 1348 FROM THE PEST THAT WAS RAGING IN EUROPE. PETRARCA NEVER SPOKE WITH HIS LOVE, NOT A SINGLE TIME IN HIS LIFE — JUST DEDICATED POETRY TO HER. EVEN AFTER HER DEATH HE CELEBRATED EACH 6TH OF APRIL WITH A NEW SONNET. THERE ARE MANY DOUBTS IF LAURA EVER EXISTED… COULD IT BE A SORT OF SELF-ISOLATION OF THE POET’S FEELING POURED INTO ONE OF THE MOST EMINENT LITERATURE EXAMPLES THAT GAVE BIRTH TO THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE.