The Vanna Casati Gallery presents the work of Marco Bettoni, an artist born in Bergamo but long time resident in London . The title of the show is Seijaku which literally translated means immobility, that is, calm and quiet.

The work takes for its subject the exploration of Japan , a country which the artist knows very well, both because of a spiritual affinity and because of frequent visits there.

A series of photographs, some hand-printed, some in high-definition digital print, documents an intriguing aspect of daily life. There are small divinities in stones (Jizo), protectors of the world of infancy, which is evoked by the curious little caps with which they are covered; these objects of popular devotion far removed from the European stereotype of the Japanese robot create a charming gallery of reassuring images. On the other hand the study of certain cultural phenomena, such as the dynamic of gesture and communication, and the difference between reality and representation, form the theme explored in the video Seijaku. It was filmed in the old quarter of the Geisha of Kanazawa and in Nagano , from which emerges the ritual of everyday events such as the tea ceremony.

The last group of works in the exhibition is Tokyo Lights, a series of light-boxes whose strong impact is created by the brilliant contrasting images which recall contemporary life in Tokyo . They have been described by the London art critic and writer, Guy Brett, as “Beautiful: calm amid chaos”.

Vanna Casati Gallery