Hypnero

First artist's book by Italian artist Laura Santamaria (b. 1976). The book is a new phase of the artist's research on the pigments, her study began in 2004 with the project "M.1" for the Hall of the Annunciation in Imola.

“The void is not an aesthetic element of the art work. On the contrary, it manifests itself in the process of creation; when I let pigments and minerals to fall on the ground, they take on a form determined by the specific weight of each material.
I initiate a series of events: materials pass through the void between my hands and to the ground. The installation depends from the energy of launching and the situation on the floor. This equilibrium is a manifestation of a natural process which I have observed with intense fascination - how stalagmites are formed.
Water is the catalyst settting materials in motion, again and again.
“Hypnero” is my way of referring to the period of time in which this occurs, whether in its entirety or merely a fragment thereof. It could, potentially, be recreated anywhere; it refers to the conditions of being “site – relational” work if not “site-specific”, using black and white pigments which evoke both clarity and obscurity, highlighting the limitations of temporary circumstances in site specific practice. This work of art could be repeated but is always different, depending, as it does, on circumstances, not something that already exists but, on the contrary, on energy passing through and taking shape.” L.S.