Multimedia arts

In the field of multimedia arts, Martino Nicoletti’s work focuses mainly on combinations of photography, experimental video, creative writing and performance. Besides photographic books and multimedia works printed with commercial publishers, presented in the “Writing” section of this site, much of his work has taken the form of artist’s books, short videos, public performances, as well as photographic works displayed in solo and collective exhibitions in Europe, Asia and US (“Bio” section).

From a visual art standpoint, Martino’s activity is largely characterized by a radically “primitivist” approach, based on the use of ultra-vintage devices and techniques (e.g. box cameras, pinhole photography, Super-8 film): beyond aesthetic aspects, this specific choice is inspired by the desire to bring the production of images within the framework of a slow and non-intrusive approach to reality.

This same option – programmatically related to a drastic limitation of control over the “photographic act” and cinematographic shooting and their outcome – also aims to lead image production toward the vast territory of the “aleatory”: an approach enabling the photographic device and even the cine-camera itself to express their own intrinsic spontaneity without any bounds or restrictions.

From the domain of certainty, therefore images come back to that one of pure “chance”, with all the risks and the possibilities which may result from this approach: a radical visual primitivism chosen as a privileged way to free the gaze and make possible the emergence of inner landscapes.

 

Artist’s books

 

A part of the creative work of Martino is devoted to the creation of art-works in the form of refined books, printed in a limited edition.

Short films and videos

With a particular predilection for the Super-8 visual media, Martino’s shorts are poetic visual narrations on the subtle frontier separating the visible and the dream, the real and the surreal.

Portfolio

A selection of artistic works

Exhibitions and performances

 

2014 Water memory. Mostra multimediale, Lassalle College of the Arts, Singapore

2012 Chuna wa tok (Lime and Mud). Series of landscape artworks; Village of Booni; Hindukush Pakistan

2012 Submerged Landscape. Photographic exhibition; Booni Community Centre; Booni Village – Hindukush Pakistan

2012 A Human Zoo: among the Kayan of North Thailand. Photographic exhibition; Museo Nazionale D’arte Orientale “Giuseppe Tucci”, Rome

2012 The Zoo of the Giraffe Women. Video-installation; Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), Glasgow

2012-2011 Beuys and the shaman. Series of installations; Palazzo della Penna – Museum of Contemporary Art; Municipality of Perugia; Perugia (Italy)

2011 Ruins. Photographic installation. Abandoned house; Trasimeno Lake; Umbria (Italy)

2010 Nomads of the Invisible. Photographic exhibition and multimedia installation; Leonessa Museo Civico, Leonessa, Rieti (Italy)

2009 Bangkok: Dreams of a Dead Person. Installation; “Area Privata Gallery”, Perugia (Italy)

2009 Chod: Sacrifying the Self. Photographic exhibition and multimedia installation; Sala Santa Rita – Comune di Roma, Rome

2008 Kathmandu, Leçons des ténèbres. Photographic exhibition; Fahrenheit 451, Rome

2006 Warlungma. Butoh performance; Buddhist temple of Wat Nyuttitham, Champasak (Laos)

 

 

2014 Show Cabinet. Multimedia installation; Show Studio, London

2012 The Last Mile. Multimedia installation; The Bonnafont Gallery, San Francisco

2012 I Must not Look You in the Eyes. Video-installation; Sound Thought – The Arches, Glasgow

2011 The Nine Doors: Shamanism and Contemporary Art. Video installation; Sala Santa Rita (Rome)

2011 Lo zoo delle donne giraffa. Photographic exhibition and multimedia installation; “Stazione di Topolò”, Udine (Italy)

2011 Le nove porte. Video installation; Castello Brancaccio, Municipalità of San Gregorio di Sassola, Rome

2010 Stenopeica. Photographic installation; Silpakorn University, Bangkok

2010 A Shadow in a Wardrobe: Memories. Performance; Silpakorn University, Bangkok

2010 Taswir-tracks. Photographic exhibition and multimedia installation; “Stazione di Topolò”, Udine (Italy)

2008 Mekong Monsoon. Photographic exhibition; “Stazione di Topolò”, Udine (Italy)

2008 Leçons de ténèbres. Photographic exhibition and performance; Fattoria San Giuseppe, Spello (Italy)

2008 Visit of courtesy. Installation; “Casa d’Arte”, Spello (Italy)

2005 Disturbare le valanghe. Butoh performance; Furio Camillo Theatre, Rome

2003 Cosmogonia. Performance; Palazzo delle Papesse – Centre of Contemporary Art, Siena (Italy)

 

 

2012-2011 Beuys and the Shaman: Ecstasy, Ritual and Art; Museo Civico Palazzo Penna (Perugia, Italy)

2011 The Nine Doors: Shamanism and Contemporary Art; Sala Santa Rita (Rome)

2010 Nomads of the Invisible; Municipality of Leonessa; Museo Civico di Leonessa (Leonessa, Rieti, Italy)

2010 Taswir-tracks; “Stazione di Topolò”, Udine (Italy)

2009 Chod: Sacrifying the Self; Sala Santa Rita (Rome)

 

 

 

Music

In the field of musical production, Martino Nicoletti (infos.martino@gmail.com), in collaboration with the composer and sound engineer Roberto Passuti (roberto.passutigmail.com), has in the last ten years created two different musical projects:

  • The independent label and musical group STENOPEICA, essentially dedicated to multimedia productions and contemporary experimental music.
  • The SEEDS OF SOUND IN THE AUTUMN OF POWER collection, devoted to ethnic music and the dissemination of musical heritage, mainly connected with the Himalayan area and South Asia. Thanks to a wide-ranging archive of sound recordings made directly by Martino Nicoletti in the field, the collection aims at presenting little-known sacred music traditions, today under high risk of extinction. The CD-books and CDs in this collection, created thanks to rigorous preliminary research work, are characterised by high sound quality and great attention to the aesthetic dimension of the products, often accompanied by a large assortment of introductory texts and an ample selection of photographic images.