Marking his first solo presentation at the gallery, Etere unveils a brand new body of work by Italian artist Giuliano Macca (b. 1988, Sicily). 

Produced by the artist during a recent period in Modica, Sicily, the title borrows from Macca’s native language, its meaning ‘Ether’ alluding to Aether, the God of Light and a primordial deity born from Erebus and Nyx, in Greek mythology the personifications of darkness and night. 

The mythological narratives which Macca routinely develops in his artistic process expand throughout the work which was originally conceived at the artist’s studio in Amsterdam and completed on the Mediterranean island. Dualities emerge, setting up a conflict found throughout world mythology: the duality of chaos and order, good and evil, light and dark, love and hate. 

Drawing parallels with his personal circumstances, the exhibition seizes upon Macca’s inner conflicts, in his own words “the eternal game between these two opposites of darkness and light, but which is present in all of us”. Such repeated back and forth manifests through the narratives and compositions, often addressing nature and immortality, vanquish and regret. Furthermore, for Macca the cycle of birth and re-birth also reflects a complex process of self and collective awareness, as an integral part of spiritual and historical progression, and the power of consciousness awakening to fight against the falling. 

Giuliano Macca’s relationship with classical art is both original and genuine, resonating with a young generation of international artists who use tradition to invent new languages. The appropriation of the art historical canons of the past often reflects shifts in power, perspective, and ideology. Macca’s commanding, sincere work, derived in perfect affinity with his native background, has emerged as a convincing voice within the contemporary panorama.