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Pierfrancesco Gava is an Italian artist based in The Netherlands (Amsterdam). In his practice has always been focused on the relationship between religion and power, using video-installations and sculptures. He’s interested in the manifestation of the secular power of religion and in the blurred boundaries between the public performances enacted by political and religious leaders in the media. Contemporary media images, spread by political or religious leaders, are conceived to gain popularity and to increase power.
How does the media confer power to a leader? And what is the role of the audience in giving power to him?
Gava has a bachelor in History of art from the University of Florence (Italy). He also has a bachelor from the Gerrit Rietveld Academy (Amsterdam). He completed a master in Artistic Research at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague in 2015. His work is exhibited in The Netherlands and internationally.
2023 – BEELD EN STORM, vijfdaags Kunst-festival, Oosterkerk Amsterdam
2022 – PAKHUIS WILHELMINA’S first BIENNALE, Wilhelmina Pakhuis Amsterdam
2021 – ARCHITECTURES OF NOISE, Oscillations between knowledge and realities, W139, Amsterdam (W139)
2018 PAKHUIS WILHELMINA VIERT FEEST – 30 JAAR, Open Atelier, Pakhuis Wilhelmina, Amsterdam. (Pakhuis Wilhelmina)
2017 PIERFRANCESCO GAVA – Artist talk, introduced by Marco Nember. ITALIAN INSTITUTE OF CULTURE, Amsterdam in collaboration with STICHTING BLUE 439
2014 EXCHANGE MADE LIVE, ‘Live and in-situ collaborative work in progress'(Royal College of London & Master Artistic research The Hague)
Walden Affaire project space, The Hague (waldenaffairs.nl)
2014 EXCHANGE MADE LIVE, ‘Live and in-situ collaborative work in progress'(Royal College of London & Master Artistic research The Hague)
Walden Affaire project space, The Hague (waldenaffairs.nl)
2018 The Ongoing Conversation, publication of the conversation between Angel Orellana and Pierfrancesco Gava for the exhibition
The Ongoing Conversation 5#7 at the gallery 1646, The Hague. Published by the Gallery.
(The ongoing Conversation 5#7)
2015 International Day of Peace, text by Jacob De Jonge, The Hague Peace Project.
(http://thehaguepeace.org/2015/10/09/international-day-of-peace-2015/)
2015 Mangiare (IL) bene, catalog exhibition at the SPAZIO ELICA, Milan, Italy. Publisher Capponi – Ascoli Piceno. (Review)
What gives power to the leader’s voice and consequently to the leader’s speech? The support given to a person by the applause of a yelling crowd, generate and legitimize his power. The acclamation of masses is the source of this power. In modern democracy, media is important because it allows control and governs public opinion and in this way distributes glory and therefore power. Leaders use the media to increase their popularity. Their continuous presence on the network make their image credible in viewer’s perception, conferring them with even the ‘divine’ quality of omnipresence. As a consequence, the viewer can accept without resistance their voice and their message. Since people possess the capacity to give power through acclamation, can the masses break this spell and regain their power?
2015 Publication Graduation Show The Great Escape, text by Maziar Afrassiabi & Jack Segbars, publisher Andi Druk, Maastricht
2015 The Ongoing Conversation, publication of the conversation between Pierfrancesco Gava and Aernout Mik for the exhibition
The Ongoing Conversation 2#2 – In Principio erat Verbum at the gallery 1646, The Hague. Published by the Gallery. (The ongoing Conversation 2#2)
2010 Speaking things, Annelieke van Halen in ArtOlive J.T. XXL 2010, catalogue, Amsterdam.
2002 (nr.4), Jong Holland-Art magazine The contacts between J. Van Looy and Italian artists (graduation thesis)
Atelier
Wilhelmina Pakhuis
Veemkade 596
1019BL Amsterdam
Phone: +31(0)6 41681139
Email: pierf_gava@hotmail.com
