Jan. 17 – In Asia, white elephants are traditionally a symbol of good luck and prosperity. In Northern European countries, the name “white elephant” is given to overly ambitious projects. Michelangelo Consani, artist from Livorno, plays with this double meaning in his project on display at Gallery Side 2 in Tokyo, until February28. “Nine white elephants and a potato ” is an installation that, through a series of metric measurements, places at the center of the gallery a precise geographical area, the Aral-Caspian basin where Asia and Europe meet. Here, Consani has placed two sculptures in black Belgian marble, a rare material now depleted, representing the West. The two sculptures pass a potato with their mouths in a gesture of “metaphysical suspension” representing both conflict and cultural exchanges. From this hypothetical center, the artist places also minor characters, the “elephants” as agronomists, scientists, economists… creating a mapping of the world through individual personalities that help find the way for a more equitable convivial and sustainable society, saving us from the “clash” between the emerging capitalist system and the moribund Western model. Consani held his first exhibition in Japan in 2010, when he was invited to take part in the first edition of the Aichi Triennale. Strongly critical of the global production system, his artistic research focuses on issues of sustainability, social equity, but also and above all, conducting collective and individual researches.
