Nicola Ruben Montini: The Crisis And a Crisis in the Life of an Actress

The Crisis And a Crisis in the Life of an Actress features the last works by Nicola Ruben Montini. The exhibition, on display at Mestre based Massimo de Luca Gallery, brings together a selection of live performances’ recordings and images, plus some installations realized by under30 Italian talent.

The exhibition’s conceptual frame (and title) by curator Andrea Bruciati is inspired by Søren Kierkegaard. The Danish philosopher points out that man is a consequence of his choices, therefore has no essence; however, also not making a choice is itself a choice. The artist, in the same way, insists of being free from civil and emotional rules, but at the same time he acts like Prometheus, chanied between a tragic horizon and a paradoxical dimension verging on the comical. Montini’s work embodies this oscillation: in his performances, he analyzes some political and gender identity issues without denying the narcissistic temptation of his body.