Untitled (No Present), 2013
T293 is pleased to participate in Panorama Monferrato, curated by Carlo Falciani, from September 4 to 8, 2024. The exhibition will unfold through vineyards, castles, and churches, inhabiting the towns of Camagna Monferrato, Vignale Monferrato, Montemagno Monferrato, and Castagnole Monferrato for five days. It will create an unprecedented narrative that unites the ancient, modern, and contemporary in a journey that once again leads to the discovery of an extraordinary corner of Italy.
For this occasion, T293 presents a work by Claire Fontaine in the evocative setting of the Voltoni della Scalea Barocca in Montemagno. Untitled (No Present), 2013, is a détournement of the punk slogan “No Future.” It represents the economic and historical conjuncture in which many countries are deprived not only of a future but also of the possibility of a life that goes beyond mere survival. The artwork carries a double meaning: “There are no gifts for anyone.” The constant use of technology isolates individuals, limiting human interactions to distant conversations. Smartphones project us into a parallel temporality, destroying the present moment with images detached from the time we see them. For the past nine months, we have been living through the first war relayed by social media, experiencing the discrepancy between our present and the Palestinian genocide, feeling guilty and powerless, as if the deaths and mutilations were a nightmare rather than a reality.
Claire Fontaine’s "No Present" also reflects the broader role of contemporary art in political resistance. By repurposing the language of punk and intertwining it with a critique of global politics, Fontaine’s work speaks to the power of art to question and disrupt the status quo. The neon sign, a medium associated with commercial advertising and capitalist consumption, is here subverted to deliver a message that challenges the very foundations of those systems.
Philosopher Jacques Rancière’s concept of the "distribution of the sensible" is relevant here, as it refers to the way in which art and aesthetics can reorganize what is visible and sayable within a society, thus redistributing the way we perceive and engage with the world. "No Present" operates within this framework by making visible the erasure of the present moment, and by extension, the erasure of lives and rights under oppressive regimes. The stark, minimalist aesthetic of the work forces the viewer to confront this reality without the distractions of narrative or decorative elements, demanding a recognition of the void that has been created.
Claire Fontaine is a feminist and conceptual artist, founded in Paris in 2004 by Fulvia Carnevale and James Thornhill, a duo of Italian-British artists who declare themselves her assistants. Since 2018, she has lived and worked in Palermo. Taking her name from a well-known brand of French school notebooks and stationery, Claire Fontaine identifies as a readymade artist and has begun to develop a version of neo-conceptual art that often resembles the work of others. The artist uses this concept as a way to critique "production" as a creation of increasingly desirable artifacts that superficially appear new. Her work 'Foreigners Everywhere' inspired the title of the current edition of the Venice Biennale.
Artwork Caption: Untitled (No Present), 2013, wall-mounted or suspended neon, 6500K. 12mm neon glass, back-painted, electronic transformer mounted on a frame, 20 x 177 x 5 cm.
For this occasion, T293 presents a work by Claire Fontaine in the evocative setting of the Voltoni della Scalea Barocca in Montemagno. Untitled (No Present), 2013, is a détournement of the punk slogan “No Future.” It represents the economic and historical conjuncture in which many countries are deprived not only of a future but also of the possibility of a life that goes beyond mere survival. The artwork carries a double meaning: “There are no gifts for anyone.” The constant use of technology isolates individuals, limiting human interactions to distant conversations. Smartphones project us into a parallel temporality, destroying the present moment with images detached from the time we see them. For the past nine months, we have been living through the first war relayed by social media, experiencing the discrepancy between our present and the Palestinian genocide, feeling guilty and powerless, as if the deaths and mutilations were a nightmare rather than a reality.
Claire Fontaine’s "No Present" also reflects the broader role of contemporary art in political resistance. By repurposing the language of punk and intertwining it with a critique of global politics, Fontaine’s work speaks to the power of art to question and disrupt the status quo. The neon sign, a medium associated with commercial advertising and capitalist consumption, is here subverted to deliver a message that challenges the very foundations of those systems.
Philosopher Jacques Rancière’s concept of the "distribution of the sensible" is relevant here, as it refers to the way in which art and aesthetics can reorganize what is visible and sayable within a society, thus redistributing the way we perceive and engage with the world. "No Present" operates within this framework by making visible the erasure of the present moment, and by extension, the erasure of lives and rights under oppressive regimes. The stark, minimalist aesthetic of the work forces the viewer to confront this reality without the distractions of narrative or decorative elements, demanding a recognition of the void that has been created.
Claire Fontaine is a feminist and conceptual artist, founded in Paris in 2004 by Fulvia Carnevale and James Thornhill, a duo of Italian-British artists who declare themselves her assistants. Since 2018, she has lived and worked in Palermo. Taking her name from a well-known brand of French school notebooks and stationery, Claire Fontaine identifies as a readymade artist and has begun to develop a version of neo-conceptual art that often resembles the work of others. The artist uses this concept as a way to critique "production" as a creation of increasingly desirable artifacts that superficially appear new. Her work 'Foreigners Everywhere' inspired the title of the current edition of the Venice Biennale.
Artwork Caption: Untitled (No Present), 2013, wall-mounted or suspended neon, 6500K. 12mm neon glass, back-painted, electronic transformer mounted on a frame, 20 x 177 x 5 cm.
