La Nouvelle Palmeraie
Fès, 22.09.2014 – Within the dense schedule of Incontri Fes 2014, an event organized by CIDI Fès and the department of the Fondazione Ducci au Maroc, the Moroccan city hosted the first solo sculpture exhibition by Italian artist Gio Montez, titled La Nouvelle Palmeraie. The exhibition, curated and presented by Prof. Claudio Strinati, was set up in the spaces of the Fondazione Esprit de Fès, while receptions, concerts, and gala dinners were held at Kassr Annoujoum.
Arab springs: A new city landscape
At the center of the exhibition was Action No. 5 – Isolation, part of the larger sculptural project of the palm grove created using a distinctive sculptural dripping technique. The work consists of seven palm trees shaped from a mixture of yellow Sahara sand, Portland cement, and Moroccan Karmoud ceramic produced by the artist himself. At first glance, the installation evokes a desert oasis, yet the materials and methods used also recall the brutalist architecture of urban modernity, suggesting a parallel between the natural palm grove and the new concrete towers reshaping the city’s landscape.
isolation, n. f. [from isolating]. – A less common synonym of isolation, especially to indicate the condition of something, and more often of a person, that is kept or keeps itself isolated.
between sacred and profane
This very visual ambiguity—suspended between sacred and profane, ancient and modern, natural and brutalist—forms the core of Montez’s artistic exploration. During the years of the so-called “Arab Springs,” the artist crossed the semi-desert regions of Morocco several times, searching for a visual form capable of reconciling Christian tradition and Arab culture, as well as Italian and Moroccan building practices. The palms—symbols of water and sacredness in the local context—thus take on the appearance of modern, monetizable buildings, becoming metaphors for the cultural and urban tensions affecting the country.
in the immensity of the desert
To create the work, Montez undertook a solitary journey across Morocco wearing a ceremonial tuxedo. His pilgrimage led him to Marzouga, on the edge of the Sahara, where he personally gathered the sand used in the sculptures. In the immensity of the desert—described by the artist as a place where nature reveals itself in its most sublime form—Montez left his tuxedo behind and recited a Christian prayer, interpreting the gesture as a sacred exchange with the greatness of Africa. In his intent, this was a propitiatory rite aimed at reconciling the tensions that emerged during the Arab uprisings and at seeking balance between human forces and the greater powers that transcend human destiny.
a brand new modern temple
The artist accompanied the action with a statement addressed to the public:
“I enter this temple with you, as a spectator.”
(Gio Montez)
Azione n°5 – Isolazione
21/03/2014, Sahara Desert
Solo performance
Director: Gio Montez
Actors: Gio Montez
