Gentilgesto - Delia Russo e Massimiliano Cecconi
gentilgesto® is an artist duo based in Palermo, formed by creatives Delia Russo and Massimiliano Cecconi.
Since 2011, gentilgesto® has pursued a path that merges the material clay with historical and anthropological research, aiming to explore gestures and the relational aspects of making.
They develop projects that reflect on the relationship between humans and nature, and on rural communities in contemporary contexts, starting with clay as a medium of connection.
They also create eco-design in ceramics and other materials, using processes, techniques, and finishes that respect nature.
Fare comunità a cavallo di un tornio
The work is an installation resulting from a journey undertaken by gentilgesto® in 2024. It reflects on the relationship between humans and nature, on rural communities in the present day, and on the material culture tied to agricultural labor.
Key concepts of the work:
Clay: It marks our passage on Earth, our imprint. Thanks to its plastic qualities, clay is an inclusive material – it breaks down barriers, adapts to every hand, gesture, strength, and energy. It is a material in metamorphosis, constantly open to transformation.
The journey: It’s a means to break the stillness of the land, a way to oppose the fixed nature of geography. Traveling across the land turns it dynamic – landscapes shift, shapes change. Natural sculptures emerge from a landscape in motion.
The unpredictability of the journey places gentilgesto® in a state of wonder – a condition that favors encounter and attentive listening to the surroundings.
Photography: It follows the processes of the material, making it dynamic. It documents gestures and actions that shape and transform clay, making visible the relationship between human and material, human and nature, and between humans themselves.
The sculptural work: Created with recycled clay gathered during the journey, it holds the memory of the experiences and preserves the gestures of all the children, women, and men who worked it. It embodies the shape of encounter and community.
The sound (curated by VacuaMoenia): It is explored as an independent landscape. The main character is the sound of a vessel – from its initial resonance to silence, ending with the loud noise of a “machine” – the potter’s wheel – in a contrasting interplay with the calm creation phases.
The soundscape of the object is examined: its internal and external sounds, the silence, and the question of who or what is truly “sounding”.