by Christoph Kluetsch for AV Art Service
On February 17 2023 Centre d’Art opened the exhibition “CHRONOTYPE” with Experimental photography of the late Giorgio Molinari. The show is dedicated to a special technique developed by Giorgio Molinari. Marco and Pietro explained the technique during the opening. Two strong light sources in form of high-power projectors are facing each other. Each one is behind a curtain with a vertical gap, so that two very clear vertical light beams crate a sort of light shower. The person in the photo walks and moves in and out of the light curtain, moves the arms, the body, the head so that the long exposure of the camera captures the movement. Giorgio Molinari portraited many Aurovillians and captured their physical body in motion. What we can see is not a static portrait but a passage through time on a two-dimensional plane. It is a moment, a living expression of that person. Although no image can capture a person or a spirit as a whole, his images give a more subtle, observing, free image of a gesture that witnesses the life force of the person.
The technique is unique. The photos look like they have been edited in a heavy postproduction process, but they are single shot photograph with an aperture of a few second on a digital camera.
Born in Milan, Giorgio was drawn to photography from a young age and had a deep interest in Oriental philosophy. Throughout his career, he worked with top names in advertising agencies, record companies, theater productions, and architectural designs. In 2003, during the “Auroville 35 Years” celebration at the UNESCO center in Paris, Giorgio learned more about Auroville and eventually became an Aurovilian in 2006.
The exhibition will be open to the public until March 3rd, 2023. Gallery hours are Monday to Saturday, 2 PM to 5 PM.
