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Giuseppe Di Bella - Healing

6:21, 2009, Video Art
 
The video ‘Healing’ depicts the artist’s hand struggling to reconstruct a broken bottle of milk that I chose because of the strong characteristics of the milk that could exemplify a loss - though the milk here is present through its absence.
I am particularly interested in the milk because it is a food for the newborn and symbolizes motherhood. It is also a family blood-tie and a strong symbol of rebirth. There is also the chemical reaction between the reconstructed bottle and the glue that causes the whitening of the bottle, which could be read as to concede or profess a loss via the symbolic act of restitution.
The hands are also a very strong symbol as they are the most expressive members of the body. I am particularly interested in the dichotomy of the hands as a symbol of both creation and destruction.
‘Healing’ attempts to investigate the long-term process of healing and dealing with a loss.
DirectorGiuseppe Di Bella - Individual Artist
 

CountryUnited KingdomEdition2009 ScreeningsLaznia Contemporary Art Center, Gdansk, Poland, December 2009
Festival Internacional de Videoarte, Camaguey, Cuba November/December 2009
Museum of Art Nevada, USA, November 2009
Collektiva Photon, Lubjiana, Slovenia, October/November, 2009
Cinemateca nacional La Paz Bolivia, August 2009
Videoholica, Varna Bulgaria, August 2009
Shunt, London, UK, April 2009
 

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Interview

 
Who is Giuseppe Di Bella?

Giuseppe Di Bella was born in Italy and grew up in France. He is now living and working in London, UK. In 2005 the artist completed a BA Honours degree in Photography at the London College of Communication, formerly the London College of Printing part of the UAL (University of the Arts London).


Your film is about?

The video ‘Healing’ depicts the artist’s hand struggling to reconstruct a broken bottle of milk that I chose because of the strong characteristics of milk that could exemplify a loss - though the milk here is present through its absence.
I am particularly interested in the milk because it is a food for the newborn and symbolizes motherhood. It is also a family blood-tie and a strong symbol of rebirth. There is also the chemical reaction between the reconstructed bottle and the glue that causes the whitening of the bottle, which could be read as to concede or profess a loss via the symbolic act of restitution.
The hands are also a very strong symbol as they are the most expressive members of the body. I am particularly interested in the dichotomy of the hands as a symbol of both creation and destruction.
‘Healing’ attempts to investigate the long-term process of dealing with a loss.


Could you explain how you work, what themes or concepts and what is important to you?

My artistic practice examines the effects and implications of violence, trauma and conflict within contemporary society. This ongoing theme of violence whether implicit or explicit, physical or psychological, runs through most of my work.
I am interested in how ‘we’, as an individual or as a community, recover from the aftermath of violence, trauma and/or conflict. We are all subjected to conflict, at different degrees and at different stages of our lives, whether this conflict is personal or collective, emotional or familial, social or cultural or even political.
 

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