Sofia Mangini and Matteo Brivio, two talented young photographers who share a fascination for architecture and urban landscapes, will take part to Arte sul Naviglio Grande on May 9, 2021.
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Arte sul Naviglio Grande is one of the first events to be organized on the Naviglio: it began as a spontaneous exhibition of paintings by local painters, but over time it has become a relevant event for the Milanese cultural scene. It hosts over 300 artists from all over Italy who exhibit their works on the banks of the Naviglio Grande along a route of almost two kilometers. It is a cultural event that involves all citizens and brings them closer to the various expressions of contemporary art. This year, Sofia Mangini and Matteo Brivio – two talented photographers represented by Looking for Art - will be part of this cutting-edge event in Milan displaying their photographs, brilliant examples of landscape photography in which architecture is rendered through the personal filter of their creativity.
Geometry is a key point for both artists: captivated by the balance of architectural forms, Sofia Mangini and Matteo Brivio express their artistic vision of urban buildings through their camera. These two young photographers can likely be ascribed to the historiographically trend, defined as Landscape Photography, ranging from Eugène Atget and Berenice Abbott to the professor Bern Becher and his student Thomas Struth, who has become one of the main characters of this photographic genre.
Sofia Mangini was born in 1994 near Venice (Italy) and graduated in architecture at the IUAV University of Venice. She moved to Milan to attend a Master Degree in Photography and Visual Design at NABA University, where she specializes in architectural photography. Thanks to her studies and her personal artistic vision, Sofia provides a detailed vision of urban architectures, capturing not only famous buildings, but all those constructions that could move the sensitivity of the viewer. This approach is evident for instance in Co-strùt-to XIII where the railing in the foreground introduces the back of a building characterized by brick masonry. An ordinary building captured in its simplicity where the large vertical 'COLLECTIVE' sign and the fire escapes are the main features.
Discover more works by Sofia Mangini on Kooness.
Matteo Brivio was born in 1998 in Brianza (Italy). He moved to Milan where he currently attends the Faculty of Photography at the IED. Through photography, he expresses his sensitivity and his vision of the world. His primary aim is to capture fragments of reality that achieve harmony and balance, allowing the observer to run his gaze along lines and symmetries. The human eye is fascinated by order, geometry and harmony, and Matteo meets this natural human need through his art as in Frammento, a black-and-white photograph in which the vertical and oblique lines of the building dialogue with the curved wall in the foreground, which occupies a third of the photo space (optically balanced by the sky).
Discover more works by Matteo Brivio on Kooness.
Sofia Mangini decontextualizes architecture and transforms it into something different, but always recognizable, “where the beauty of details that are not normally noticed can be appreciated”, as herself explains. She likes playing and experimenting with details as in Co-strùt-to III: the sharp lines of the building overlook the pastel colors into the balconies, which can be clearly visualized in Sofia's photograph.
Matteo Brivio has the desire to guide the observer's eyes through the lines and symmetries of his photographs, he searches for rigor. He makes use of diptychs as well, which “allow the image to transcend the limited frame of one photograph and use two of them to enhance geometry and lines” - he says. This technique can be experiences in Incontro, a black-and-white diptychs in which light and shadow come to the surface.
Both artists capture the charm of the city in their shots, its buildings and urban nature. You should definitely go and see their Urban Landscape photographs at the Arte sul Naviglio Grande event, a valuable opportunity to meet and evolve in the name of creativity and innovation.