zabriskie point reloaded

by robert pettena

19 aug 2011

zabriskie point reloaded by robert pettena

giacomo laser and martino mugnai on drums
curated by emily barsi

The exhibition and performance is part of the artist-in-residence program at rhizomatic project space.
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Zabriske Point Reloaded, the new exhibition of Robert Pettena, is based on a musical research between different art performances. A drummer is trying to keep the beat, completely enclosed in a wooden box. A DJ, precariously positioned directly on the top of the box, plays frantic sounds, trying to follow the beat of the drummer. The vibrations created by the drummer keep interfering with the DJ’s set. The musicians are continuously searching for a dialogue throughout this extreme situation, attempting to find a common point where their two largely contrasting realities meet and connect.
The result is a kind of jam session where their musical dialogue meets and clashes, in a cyclical way. Rhythms, sounds and surreal video images draw us into loops of different perceptions and dimensions of space and time: a tribute to “Zabriskie Point”, a late sixty’s masterpieces of the Italian film director Michelangelo Antonioni.

Vergroot

rhizologo - by andrews & degen

Met: Rhizomatic

Robert Pettena: born in Penbury (GB), now lives and works in Florence. Whatever the language he uses, from video to photography, from installations and performances, he upsets order and rules of social behavior and mechanisms, revealing their contradictions and dualisms.
Giacomo Laser: lives in Florence (IT), he plays with Gioacchino Turú and Vanessa V. in the guise of arranger and producer. He founded the label Stuprobruciorecords. His work ranges from pop to avant-garde. For the project Zabriskie Point Reloaded he plays engraved vinyls and uses digital samplers.
Martino Mugnai: lives in Florence (IT), he plays with the band Velvetscore. He shared the stage with international bands like Mogwai, Blonde Redhead, Mum, karate, Marlene Kuntz, Giardini di Miro, Yuppie Flu. Since 2008 he is the drummer of the project Canemorto.rhizomatic