Vuoto blu 

Curator: Let's turn our attention to this artwork, “Vuoto blu”, which translates to "Blue Void," by Rodolfo Aricò. It’s an acrylic on canvas piece characteristic of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction. Editor: Well, my immediate reaction is…it feels like staring into a deep, shadowy tunnel. Like I'm peering into a strange, silent dimension. Kinda gives me the chills! Curator: Yes, the use of that particular shade of blue contributes to that sensation, doesn’t it? Aricò's practice engages with ideas of perception and spatial experience, echoing minimalist concerns with form. Think about the historical context – this would have been produced in a period of immense socio-political upheaval and cultural change, and Minimalism itself sought to challenge traditional art values. Editor: So, it's like a rebel yell disguised as a geometry lesson? I see your point. And that perfectly uniform, almost machine-like precision – did he use masking tape or something to get those razor-sharp edges? Curator: More than likely. Hard-edge painting is all about crisp lines and flat, unmodulated colors, aiming for purity of form and, some would argue, a removal of the artist's "hand." Consider Agnes Martin's similar approach to subtle, gridded abstractions that evoke an entirely emotional effect with simple, spare geometry. Editor: It almost feels impersonal, though. All that hard-edged precision and blue can evoke sadness... or maybe quiet defiance? But I’m also captivated. What draws you most, curator, to its power and influence? Curator: For me, its power lies in that tension – the push and pull between its formal qualities and the feelings it provokes. The simplicity prompts us to question what’s being presented—or rather, what isn’t. Where the viewer ends, the work of art begins. What it omits creates this invitation for dialogue. Editor: Right! The “void.” And I feel ready to leap. Curator: Yes! To think that shapes the dialogue...Well, thinking about what lies beneath minimalism in its creation and in what the painting offers, I appreciate a view together today, particularly about perception. Editor: Agreed! It makes you feel the pull of…nothingness, but it invites, curator! A great work of abstraction offers possibilities. And thank you!