‘Mr Arbitrium’, a giant at the Arco della Pace in Milan: the work by Giannelli

A nude male figure, about 6 meters long, monumental, leaning against the Arco della Pace, in Milan. ‘Does it push or hold?’ the passers-by ask themselves as they observe ‘Mr Arbitrium’, the resin work by the sculptor Emanuele Giannelli from May 15th to July 15th in Piazza Sempione, after having traveled extensively in Tuscany. There are many meanings of this act: clinging to history, to the classic, to tradition, as can be seen from the figurative style and the detailed and realistic representation of the human figure. Or maybe get away from it, try to free yourself from the weight of beauty. At Mr. Arbitrium many themes intersect: the relationship of man with science, technology with all their contradictory and unsolved aspects, the transformation of man, the force of gravity, suspension, balance. “The sculpture is conceived with all the muscles in tension, intent on supporting the structure or otherwise pushing it away in a decisive way – explains Giannelli – playing on this ambivalence is the intent of my project and in the double meaning of this action lies the concept that is the basis of my work. In a historical moment of great changes and ever more accelerated rhythms such as the one we are going through, in my opinion, this dilemma really exists that inevitably asks us to choose: sweep away the Church or the historic building, symbol of the institutions, of history. , of past culture and tradition or instead support and defend the Church, our millenary history, the symbols of Western culture? “” I believe – he emphasizes – that not only in the coming decades, but already today we should have clear the path we want to undertake, the choice we intend to make. The future, according to my way of seeing and feeling, is already very near: science has been proposing and talking to us every day for some time about robotics, neuro-technologies, stem cells, cloning, controlled digital companies, etc. On the other hand, man has always shared uncertainties, fears, enthusiasms and progress. How will it interface with these challenges? Each of us will be called to decide which of the two different paths to take: ‘push’ or ‘support’. When in doubt about which philosophical and cultural direction to take, each of us will put his ‘I’ into play, acting according to his abilities, skills and above all his conscience. It is here that the idea arises that the protagonist is no longer sculpture, but ourselves, all of humanity. Many ‘I’s led to make those decisions, many interpretations similar or distant from each other, in the hope of avoiding misunderstandings, misunderstandings or errors of evaluation. The future and man will pass from here, at least in my vision. ”The process that led to the creation of Mr Arbitrium is interesting. The first step consists in the creation of a sketch in clay, by the hand of the sculptor, transformed into a scan and sent to a collaborator of Giannelli, the Viareggio tank driver Luigi Bonetti, for the processing of polystyrene with a robot. The sculpture inside is reinforced with iron and fixed to the bases on a structure. The robot reaches up to 90% accuracy, therefore requires a further intervention by the artist in order to redefine many details, in particular of the face, hands and feet. The last step is the resin and patina, which give the desired final color, in this case white. The project, curated by Luca Beatrice, will see the publication of a catalog by Prearo Editore, produced by Spirale Milano with the support of the Superintendence of Archeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the metropolitan city of Milan and the Municipality of Milan. An in-depth exhibition will be held in the spaces of Spirale Milano, in Via Moneta 1, with a section of works by Emanuele Giannelli, in particular four installations and some unpublished sculptures. Finally, in mid-September, a further journey into the artistic poetics of Emanuele Giannelli is planned at the new Project Space of the Iginio Balderi Archive in via Ausonio 20, in particular the studies, sketches and photographic documentation of the journey in stages. who brought the work Mr Arbitrium to the Arco della Pace. “I am happy to return to work with Emanuele Giannelli – adds the critic Luca Beatrice who has followed the artist’s work over the years – a visionary sculptor, eclectic, person full of cultural interests, very stimulating and attentive, which since he widened his vision in the monumental work has freed himself from the limits, from the belts that held him tight, from the force of gravity. Today, not surprisingly, Giannelli can be counted among the most interesting and complete sculptors of our generation. Above all in him the work does not live of itself but attempts a profound dialogue with different forms of knowledge and contemporary culture ”.