Riot 1957

Giacomo Porzano made this artwork, Riot, with what appears to be charcoal, and maybe a bit of graphite, on paper. It’s all about the smudgy, velvety blacks and grays. See how the figure seems to emerge from the ground like a shadow? There's a dynamism in the way the figure is rendered, but also an ambiguity in the background, like it's hard to tell where the figure ends and the chaos begins. Notice the marks around the figure; they're not just filling in the space but seem to be actively participating in the riot. I’m reminded of Käthe Kollwitz, who knew a thing or two about rendering human suffering through line and shadow, or maybe Francisco Goya and his Disasters of War. But there’s something specifically Italian here – a kind of operatic drama played out in the streets. It's a reminder that art doesn't always offer easy answers, but it can give us a space to reflect on the complexities of our world.