Fulgur: an interview with Matilde Sambo
Matilde Sambo
How did the project Fulgur come about?
The video without sound, placed in dialogue with fragments of a stormy sky filmed on the island of Lipari, represents a light emulating the thunderbolt (hence the title Fulgur) and the expectation created by the earplugs (often an anticipation of a very intense sound) disorients the spectator. What remains is only the evocative silence of the thunder’s memory, emphasising its absence. The thunderstorm was so far away that only the lightning arrived, and by observing the clouds figures formed within them, representing an energy that was then released in the rain, charged with an idea of sound. […]
The viewer transforms what has been seen according to the experience, memory and the way the space has been perceived according to what strikes the most (like the thunderbolt, not only as a natural element, but as a cognitive process). The sculptural intent is to freeze the vision in that instant, crystallising the forms and visions, like those generated during a dream (in drowsiness) that upon awakening remain only blurred images, which one tries to reconstruct in an unconscious manner of experiences.
Were the elements collected specifically for the body of work in the exhibition? What interconnection does the choice of materials represent?
The composition of the elements were collected especially for the exhibition. The materials are as diverse as glass and bronze. It is the first time I have worked with glass and in this case it is fused glass, not blown glass, but has the same lost-wax casting process as bronze.
The installation represents the idea of suspension, without an earthly support (as in “Assopimento”) as if the sculpture were ready to take flight, perhaps in the direction of a dream world. The idea of gravity as a founding element of our life (perhaps for the third chapter) and the future intention will be to immortalise the instant in which the feet come off the ground and achieve suspension. […]
Sensory perception delimits the space around us, where stimulation generates questions related to perception. The bewilderment of the viewer generates attention regarding movement, amplifying sensory perception.
Can you tell me about any future projects?
The next project will be related to “Dormiveglia” as a broader investigation. The artistic reflection will start from the connection between touch and sound, through other sensory activations and deprivations in a space where the relationship between body and space will be the foundation.
