Out of Sync and Into America, Brogi’s Art Impresses

It is difficult to write a proper review of only part of an art exhibition, since one experiences the full impact of an artist’s work only after looking at all of the works collectively. Unfortunately, it was evident that a significant element was missing from Giorgio Brogi’s exhibition “Out of Sync” at Columbia’s Italian Academy.

While the exhibition was billed as a collection of “paintings, digital prints and video works” on the Web site, it turns out that the film component was presented only at the opening reception on Oct. 23. This one-time presentation featured a video by Brogi titled Out of Sync, and the additional work of four directors, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Bernardo Bertolucci, Carlo Lizzani, and Jean-Luc Godard. While the exhibit will be up through Nov. 20, visitors will find only paintings and prints still on display. This is unfortunate, given that the use of multimedia could have given viewers another point of access to the artist’s motivation for creating “Out of Sync.”

In contrast to the typically singular, stationary exhibitions, “Out of Sync” is a continuously evolving project periodically updated with Brogi’s latest work and moved to new locations. This flexibility is evident in the range of media featured in the show—the press release mentions “a play of mirrors, a book, an environmental video show, a video-painting and performance.” Despite the promise of these diverse expressions of the artist’s vision, it is somewhat disappointing to visit the exhibit and only see Brogi’s paintings and prints on display. Considering that the showing at the Italian Academy marks the Italian artist’s first exhibit in the United States, we might have expected a show more representative of the wide span of Brogi’s creativity.

This is not to say that Brogi’s paintings aren’t impressive in and of themselves. Characterized by sharp geometric shapes and gradations of bright colors, the pieces are eye-catching and visually interesting. In each piece, Brogi sets up a striking dichotomy between a pristine white square of canvas placed next to an equal-sized block of lines, colors, and shading. The absence of representation means that viewers do not have specific characters or settings to guide their experience, but the level of abstraction is appropriate and effective. The end result is that each work has a modern, streamlined look that lends itself to multiple levels of meaning.

The problem with “Out of Sync” lies not in the creative work of the artist, but rather in the decisions made by curator Gianni Romano. The individual pieces are mounted on the wall without any background information. Knowing that the prints would not be accompanied by video beyond opening night, one solution might have been to include a small placard next to each piece explaining the artist’s inspiration in creating the work. While information is readily available on the Academy’s Web site, visitors who have not read about the artist beforehand are likely to feel unprepared and unsure of how to process the exhibit.

While the artistic foundations of a great exhibition were all there, the overall showing seemed incomplete and lacked impact. All the same, visiting “Out of Sync” will leave you wanting to see more of Brogi’s work in order to gain a better understanding of his creative purpose.

“Out of Sync” is running at the Italian Academy through Nov. 20, 2008.