Amor Vacui – Martina Merlini – Artwork presentation
AMOR VACUI
Martina Merlini
Artwork Presentation
January 28, 2025, 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM
C/O SuperOtium
Via Santa Teresa degli Scalzi, 8 – 80135 Naples
On January 28, 2025, at 6:00 PM, we will unveil Amor Vacui, a work by Martina Merlini, created during her residency at SuperOtium in January 2024, supported by Matronato del Madre.
The piece represents a visual, perceptual, and conceptual mapping of emptiness in Naples. Drawing on her exploration of limits and their transcendence, the balance between chance and precise form, and the interplay of rationality and irrationality, Merlini approached “emptiness” in a city where the concept is far removed from daily experience and often regarded with fear. This mapping was enriched by encounters with individuals and organizations who participated in events and explorations tied to spaces filled with lived experiences, memories, and emotions — spaces that embody emptiness.
Three big sculptures reflect this journey: a parking lot carved into a quarry, a basilica steeped in silence, and a monumental complex where time stands still. Each form emerges from encounters, stories, and the unpredictability of perception.
The presentation of Amor Vacui is part of the 2025 cultural program curated by Nicola Ciancio for SuperOtium (a project by Nicola Ciancio and Vincenzo Falcione). This season’s theme, “Ricami”, serves as a metaphor evoking the delicacy and care for what remains after a journey or an encounter.
As with the residency, the unveiling will involve a broad network of local cultural and artistic organizations: Altofest, Attiva Cultural, l’Arsenale di Napoli, Open House Napoli, Silent Art Explorer, Studio Cervo, and Underneath the Arches/Aqua Augusta.
About Martina Merlini
Born in Bologna in 1986, Martina Merlini is an Italian artist based in Milan. Her work, inspired by 1960s and 70s graphic design, logo simplicity, and editorial graphics, reflects her evolving artistic practice spanning sculpture, graphic design, muralism, and land art. Her creations embody a harmonious connection with nature, characterized by formal balance and geometric harmony. Merlini’s recent exploration of wax and enamel on humble materials like wood and paper seeks a rawness that reflects the randomness and invisible rules inherent in nature.
Merlini’s work has been exhibited across Europe, the United States, Mexico, Australia, and Brazil. Her notable participations include Living Walls in Atlanta (2012), Le Mur in Paris (2015), a residency in Queretaro, Mexico (2017), and a project with the Italian Consulate and the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes in Rio de Janeiro (2019).
About SuperOtium
SuperOtium, founded by Nicola Ciancio and Vincenzo Falcione, is a house in the heart of Naples designed for tourists, artists, travelers, and creatives. It is a meeting place where artist residencies, exhibitions, and gatherings coexist with hospitality to inspire artists and challenge travelers’ perspectives, offering new ways to experience the city.
The residency program has hosted notable artists such as Kensuke Koike, Matilde Cassani, Massimo Uberti, Hypereden, Bianca Felicori (Forgotten Architecture), Paz Ortúzar (in collaboration with the Cervantes Institute of Naples), Giovanna Silva (with Lorenzo Xiques), Nuvola Ravera (with Made in Cloister), Blase (with ShowDesk), Yasser Almaamoun (with the Goethe-Institut), and Khaled El Mays (with Edit Napoli).