MACRO FALL 2010

MACRO via Reggio Emilia

October 26 2010- December 12 2010

www.en.macro.roma.museum

By Shanía Mason

MACROwall: Eighties are Back!/Nunzio

“MACROwall: Eighties are Back!/Nunzio” is an exhibit that displays the works of Italian art in the 1980s, and has been available for viewing since October 26, 2010. The exhibit will be of access to the public until the 12^th of December 2010. In the midst of the wide array of exhibits currently being displayed, at the Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Roma (MACRO) is where “MACROwall: Eighties are Back!” can be found. The show is— in a nutshell- a response to the cycle of exhibitions devoted to art history of the ‘80s. As suggested by its title, the exhibition’s main theme is art of the 1980s and more specifically artist, Nunzio’s, separate visual presence and unique interpretation.

We are currently in an era that is filled with a plethora of extraordinary elements such as developments in technology, and even America can speak of her first black president. However, the 1980s is a time period that, in its own way, has become very monumental to our present day. The ‘80s are known for its vivid colors, up-beat music, and heavy drug use. The decade saw social, economic, and general change as wealth and production migrated to newly industrialized way of economy.

Through a series of artists representing the diverse research forms in order to incorporate the artistic construction of the period, the MACROwall: Eighties are Back!/Nunzio exhibition visually highlights the vibrancies of Italian art in the 1980s. More specifically, what we see in the show is the presence of each artist displaying two works on a wall, one from the 1980s and one recent. What makes this exhibition particularly special and significant is the way that it contributes to the overall goal of contemporary art museums. Art museums that are specifically for contemporary art differ from other museums in the way that they aim to analyze the past, in order to identify art of the present day and further highlight the traits and importance of art of the modern world. With this space in between contemporary art and art of earlier periods, these contemporary museums create a path that makes clear those artworks that will still have a strong presence despite the growth of time, in other words it brings to light the works that will be of great value.

MACROwall: Eighties are Back!/Nunzio successfully illuminates the reconsidering the diverse artistic expression present over the past few decades. The exhibit assists the museum with a new context and way of focusing on the ‘80s.

Not only does the exhibition aim to unveil and reinterpret the Italian art of the Eighties, it is clear that MACROwall: Eighties are Back! wants to shine light on the deep changes that have happened. These changes can be seen in art criticism, which enhances the dialogue of the artistic expression of the ‘80s decade.