Gianfranco Baruchello and Carla Subrizi Lecture

Last Thursday, Gianfranco Baruchello gave a lecture concerning both his work and advice for aspiring young artists. The 92 year old artist, who was a former student of Marcel Duchamp, has experienced a large amount of success, having his work showcased at the MAXXI (National Museum of Contemporary Art) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Although he is so successful, Baruchello has remained incredibly humble and generous.

He told us to have the courage to learn new languages, read new books, travel the world, and most importantly, create work that you believe in. He spoke about the notion of the real and the unreal, stating that we are in a real world. Therefore, to create art, and to think of something that is unreal, is to take a risk. By deviating from the norm, you are exposing yourself and ultimately facing an uphill battle which is dictated by the “landscape of money”. In the sphere of Contemporary art, galleries, museums, and curators are typically more focused on profit rather than the work itself. Therefore, it is necessary to defend yourself, whether it be with words or images, as a means of making it in the art world. According to Baruchello, art can either drive you mad, or set you free. It is up to you to decide what happens.

After sharing his inspirational advice, Baruchello discussed his work and his focus on the idea of the garden and the various nuances associated with it: the garden as a representation of the past, the idea of a literary composition, and the subject of a painterly drawing. One can draw a garden and create a representation of it, or similarly one can write about it using a detailed description. Yet the garden itself presents a dichotomy which concerns two aspects- positivity and negativity. On one hand, the garden is rather ferocious and not aesthetic in terms of insects destroying flowers and other plants. On the other hand, the garden, if completely preserved, is extremely beautiful. Baruchello addressed this idea using the concept of a winter garden, which was exhibited at the Hamburg Bahnhof Museum in Berlin.

Again focusing on the theme of gardens, Baruchello discussed a work which is currently on display at the MAXXI Museum in Rome, which features a bedroom located in an artificial background. Along with the installation is a video that shows photographs of Syrian refugees coming into Italy, an aspect Baruchello says which highlights the idea of art functioning as a form against depression and one that is not independent of the tragedy one sees.

With this more socially driven perspective, Baruchello established the Baruchello Foundation as a means of creating a space in which artists can engage in a dialogue concerning new projects and ideas. Carla Subrizi, president of the organization, spoke further about this organization and its emphasis on creative work. The foundation, which does not receive public funding, has published books and organized workshops to discuss new ideas and approaches to art, something which is rather uncommon in Rome. The organization, humble like its creator, serves as a space in which new ideas and art are constantly arising. With the lecture ending, Subrizi gave us one final piece of advice: dream big and never give up.