found footage

The exhibition took place on December 6, 2008, at 20.00, within a home gallery set up in a typical block of flats living room.

In the 60s and 70s, conceptual art dismantled the idea of beauty and the commercial art object produced by the artist. This was carried out through dematerialization and the use of text as medium. However, in post conceptual art and post minimalism a move towards a simultaneous recuperation of beauty and the use of concept could be observed.



















Michele Bressan's aesthetic and emotional appropriationism is powerfully rooted in the medium of photography. Its apparition is only possible after going through all stages of apprenticeship leading to the possession of technical abilities that make the artist a mature photographer.



















Thus, Michele Bressan goes beyond the limits of the medium with the help of a set of gestures through which he selects and designates images as ready-mades. Nevertheless, the aim of this procedure is still the creation of images that are viable from an aesthetic point of view, even if a conceptual production method is used.

The exhibition brings the raw matter from which the artist selects his images into the proximity of the viewer. The display is made up of 20 photographs taken by amateurs in the 80s which were found in Romania. These were turned into postcards, and presented in the exhibition along with a half an hour film projection of home movies shot in 1976 by an American family (the Jacksons).
















A certain voyeurism is facilitated by the exhibition, as both the photos and the home movies were initially meant to be seen by the eyes of the loved ones and not by those of art lovers.
















The fact that the images enter almost automatically an area of aesthetic judgment, surpassing the limit of a simple indiscretion is the merit of the person who selected them. The coherence of the aesthetics of the found photos and that of the home movies can be partly explained by the standardization of technical means, but also by a consumerist behavior that was possible in the 80s in America, which was created at the same time, or appropriated after the Revolution of 1989 in Romania as well.

And it is quite possible that each image from the home movies could go through the same procedure of printing on a postcard format. This is because all the film frames have the same image texture built up of saturated color, blurry outlines, spots and used film flaws which give them an aura of a memory turned into an object of contemplation.
















The home movies and photos taken by the amateurs of the 80s as well as the poetics of their images seem to be the favorite subject, but also one of Michele Bressan's recurrent aesthetic options, whether his own production of films and photos is concerned, or those he recuperated from others.

The photos were distributed through a tombola to the public at the opening. Because of limited space, access was invitation based only. As the capacity of the living-room is of 20 people, I took the liberty of inviting personally 10 of them.

Following an internet comment on my initiative, I decided to give up the distribution of objects through the web, making it possible for 10 people to attend the openings that take place in the gallery. To this end, 10 invitations were offered to those who wanted them through a public announcement on feeder.ro.

michele bressan - vernisaj

sambata 6 decembrie 2008, la ora 20.00, va avea loc vernisajul expozitiei Filme gasite a lui Michele Bressan la galeria 29, un spatiu de expunere amenajat intr-o sufragerie de bloc.


Michele Bressan este un fotograf de 28 de ani. A inceput cu aparatul digital si apoi a renuntat la el pentru aparatele pe film. Dupa o perioada de fotografie alb-negru a trecut apoi la fotografia color.

Cele cateva etape au insemnat si insusirea unor sensibilitati complet diferite. Daca in perioada de fotografie digitala/color imaginile fara claritate transpuneau privitorul intr-o stare de reverie narcotica in care luminile pareau ude, lasand dare lungi deasupra obiectelor, in perioada de fotografie alb-negru imaginea devine mai precisa si mai obiectiva, respirand inca un aer de poezie difuza.

Dupa aceste experiente, fotografiile pe film color ajung sa fie incarcate cu o atmosfera aparte. Oricat de naturale par unele cadre, se simte in ele preferinta pentru interioarele triste si claustrofobice, incarcate de melancolie. Fotografiile de exterior sunt in cautarea unor peisaje caracteristice, cu o incarcatura mnemonica extraordinara, in bagajul careia se pot discerne straturi de antropologie vizuala, dar si o afectivitate infantila obsedata de obiectele fetis ale copilariei.

Este insa vorba nu de o copilarie atemporala, ci de una cu un puternic caracter istoric, in sensul in care emotiile se construiesc in jurul imaginilor locurilor de joaca parasite, a trandafirilor de plastic si a kitschului pre si post decembrist, cu inventarul sau precis de locuri, gesturi si obiecte, desprinse dintr-un domeniu mai larg pe care specialistii l-ar numi istorie recenta.

Sapand in imaginarul colectiv materializat in peisajele urbane romanesti si in interioarele dezolante, sau pur si simplu de o banalitate evidenta, Michele Bressan parcurge in acelasi timp un drum care tine de propria subiectivitate. In incercarea de a-si reconstrui din poze, marturii si obiecte de a doua mana propria imagine despre copilarie si adolescenta, Michele Bressan devine inevitabil un specialist in estetica fotografiei de amator din anii '80, cu imaginile sale saturate de emotivitatea cam lipicioasa a pozelor de familie, incarcate de gesturi parintesti discutabile si de personaje stranii, care desi atrag, par amenintatoare.

E interesant de vazut ca dupa ce si-a insusit in intregime tehnica mediului in care lucreaza, Michele Bressan creeaza imagini doar prin gestul selectarii lor dintr-o arhiva de filme gasite, a caror atmosfera, textura si afectivitate a ajuns sa o considere parte din propria sensibilitate de artist.


fotografiile vor fi distribuite printr-o tragere la sorti catre publicul prezent la deschiderea expozitiei. din cauza spatiului limitat, accesul se face doar pe baza de invitatie. capacitatea sufrageriei fiind de 20 de persoane, imi voi asuma libertatea de a invita personal 10 dintre participanti.

in urma unor comentarii, am decis sa renunt la sistemul de distributie a obiectelor prin internet, facand posibila participarea a 10 persoane din publicul larg la vernisajele care au loc la galeria 29. astfel, 10 invitatii vor fi puse la dispozitia celor care doresc sa vina la vernisaj prin intermediul feeder.ro.