THE SEARCH FOR EMPTINESS
MAURIZIO CIANCIA
Cluster London interviews Italian photographer Maurizio Ciancia
to unravel the layers behind his minimalist vision.
In 2021 Ciancia was a selected finalist for the prestigious Arte Laguna Prize
for his series There is Space for Everyone. Drawing us into a world of subtle simplicity Maurizio creates an ambience composed of balance, silence and space.
By stripping away what is not truly essential we are left with an aesthetic emptiness
that remains conceptually dense. Immerse yourself in this sublime minimalism.
Spaces 9314-9777 | from the series There is Space for Everyone
Hello Maurizio. What first drew you to photography?
I think photography has been a great tool to satisfy my need for creativity. To be honest I chose photography
for the wrong reasons. I thought I wasn’t good enough at drawing, and since there is a strong tradition of painting
in my family I wanted to avoid any comparisons. So I looked for another way.
Space 8635 | from the series Peaceful
Your photographic style is minimalist.
How did you discover the power and the beauty of simplicity?
The minimalism that characterises my photography is actually a linguistic element that is used to convey
a certain message. It’s a conscious approach that began in 2016 and continues to this day.
The first step was to interact with the composition through simplicity in relation to the field of photography.
Minimalism is understood to mean limited elements and order. The series Peaceful is characterised exactly
by these core ingredients. The title was inspired by a track from Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way and it expresses
the style I was looking for in my photographs at that time. The next step was to find the intimate conditions needed
to perceive Peaceful; this was an exploration of the void represented as a state of calm, silence and balance.
Ultimately, I see space as a metaphor to represent emptiness.
Space 3137 | from the series Peaceful
Okay, so the empty space represents a longing or a liberation? ...
Or something else completely?
It represents a dimension in which I find balance, time, silence and space.
These empty spaces are quite simply the visualisation of a state of mind.
Lao-Tzu said: “If you want to become full, let yourself be empty. “
Does this resonate with you?
Very much so! Awareness of the emptiness leads me to further analysis of what is necessary and what’s superfluous;
a process of revision to be repeated periodically. I am referring to everyday life and not necessarily to material things; intentions, thoughts, concepts. Dynamics that sometimes weigh us down unnecessarily;
like ballasts that need to be unloaded. A recognition of what is really necessary can allow us
to lighten up from any assumed needs and thus perceive abundance.
Allow me another quote: Less is more, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
Spaces 863 -8639 | from the series There is Space for Everyone
Do you start from fullness to reach emptiness or vice versa?
How does your creative process work?
Previously, I started with the full and looked for the empty.
Now my awareness allows me to quickly recognise useful contexts
that could be used in a series like EmptySpaces. The main elements are linearity
and simplicity. Shapes, lines and colours help to transmit an idea of emptiness.
At the same time I also need at least enough elements so that I can manage
to convey order, choice and intention.
Is the void silent? If not, what sound would you associate with it?
My research recognises emptiness but also silence. Actually, it could be very interesting to express my emptiness through sound.
I don't have a particular instrument in mind but I am thinking of simple sounds, familiar but not necessarily recognisable, marked by a rhythm to convey the expansion of space.
Basically what I’m trying to do visually is to look for emptiness by drawing spaces that are sufficiently full so as not to feel a lack of anything.
This Space Can Be Yours | Installation for Festival Vedere Oltre 2017 | Treviso, Italy
Minimal geometry and a limited colour scheme: what appeals to you about these particular qualities?
They are aspects of my language. I look for emptiness as a usable space. Balance, harmony, space, silence, time.
The spaces must be empty but also sufficiently full of useful elements to create balance and harmony.
The result is a synergy of different ingredients: choice of colours, proportions, order.
Not everything is written by rule, finely tuned perception and intuition also contribute to the creative process.
Our world is fast-paced and over saturated.
Do you feel your search for space is in conflict with modern life?
In reality it is a consequence of this! I don't like to imagine any conflict with the fast and hyper-saturated world we live in,
it wouldn't be a fair comparison. Instead, the spaces of my research are corners where I can find the right rhythm and balance.
From the series Daily Abstractions
Your series Daily Abstractions is quite different from other minimalist pieces, it feels full of colour and information.
How does this series connect or contrast with your artistic view?
Daily Abstractions is a series of images created a few weeks before Peaceful. The search for the emptiness was still far away at this point.
It was a first attempt to observe reality with a detached gaze and a desire for abstraction.
I cut out a little piece of reality that we all know, trying to decontextualise and reframe it.
Space 6883 | from the Series Intangibile
Tell us more about your most recent series Intangibile…
In this new series the subject remains space but my aim is to create this through light and colour.
I was inspired by the works of Lucio Fontana and James Turrel. The idea comes from the intangible quality of light.
I wanted to explore the impossibility of touching light; the lack of a physical and tangible experience compared
to say touching a surface or a wall. Light necessarily occupies a volume; drawing, enhancing and defining it.
Black contains it, limits its expansion and marks its boundary, essentially defining the space.
This apparent non-physicality makes these spaces intangible and amplifies my inner perception of them.
Lastly, artists who most inspired you?
Too many names to mention. Kengiro Azuma was the first who showed me how to observe emptiness.
I recommend exploring his interesting life and work.
Maurizio Ciancia will be exhibiting at the Arsenale of Venice alongside other finalists of the Arte Laguna Prize 15th edition, from 2 to 24 October 2021.
QUOTE: I identify in emptiness a place in which to recover space and time, away from the daily rhythms of life.
Works by Maurizio Ciancia are available through the Cluster Shop
Thank you for reading,
Valeria, Daniel & Cluster Team.
You can find Maurizio also on:
Instagram & his website