Electric Renaissance II Exhibition by Stefano Castronovo & Donato Del Giudice

Opening: 4 April 2014, 7 – 10 pm
Duration: April 5 – April 18, 2014; Tue-Sat, 1-6 pm
Special Event: April 12, 7pm, fanzine presentation; artist talk moderated by Joanna Fatorelli and Paulus Fugers, recital
Venue: SomoS, Kottbusser Damm 95, 1st floor, 10967 Berlin

April 2014, SomoS Art House presents the exhibition Electric Renaissance II by two Berlin-based Italian artists; Stefano Castronovo and Donato Del Giudice. The presented works are joint by the artists’ common history spent in New York; a preoccupation with popular- and classical themes, coupled with a shared Italian sensibility towards themes like portraiture, pop and middle class suburban life.

Noted Pop-artist Stefano Castronovo staged the first Electric Renaissance exhibition together with queer black minimalist composer Julius Eastman in the early 1980′s at New York’s Club 57, a seminal venue that offered a platform to young visual- and performing artists such as Keith Haring, Klaus Nomi, Madonna, RuPaul, Futura 2000, Kenny Scharf and Joey Arias.

Like its predecessor, Electric Renaissance II stands for the combination of a genuine expression of New York Pop sensibilities with masterly classical techniques. The installation includes photography, painting, silkscreen prints, and mixed media works especially conceived for this occasion.

Stefano Castronovo:

Stefano first became known as participant in the 80’s downtown NYC art scene for his huge street-art murals, and paintings on the “tough and a little nasty surface” (Glenn O’Brien) of leather jackets collected and prized by Warhol and other celebrities. Stefano currently works in Berlin on figurative paintings on paper and canvas of realistic female nudes and other themes.

Recent presentations of Stefano’s work include group shows at the Andy Warhol Museum, and the Area Club exhibition at The Hole, curated by Jeffrey Deitch. Recent commissions include a new collection of pop icon jacket paintings for Patricia Field, and murals for the lobbies of the Maritime and Bowery hotels in New York.

Donato Del Giudice:

Using a classic large-format camera, Del Giudice creates personal portraits and urban views in the Düsseldorfer Schule tradition. The photographer initially studied art at the Academia delle Belle Arti di Brera; subsequently he studied at the International Center of Photography in New York, where he studied with Alan Frame, Gerard Vezzuso and Amy Arbus, and came in contact with Alec Soth. Donato Del Giudice’s analog work presents an understated vision of his generation and its urban surroundings, but introduces to this sober way of photographing an Italian poetic sense.

About SomoS:

SomoS Non-Profit Art House is a continuation of former art space Kunstraum Richard Sorge. SomoS‘ mission is to create an international open platform for innovative arts, exhibitions, performances, research, workshops, education and creative cooperation, as well as offering artist in residence opportunities.

SomoS, Kottbusser Damm 95, 1st floor, 10967 Berlin
U8 Schoenleinstrasse
Phone: +491723118431
https://somos-arts.org
Email: somos@somos-arts.org