Prima is delighted to participate in the INVITED section of Art Brussels, presenting a dialogue between Helena Minginowicz (Poland, based in Poznań) and Luca Resta (Italy, based in Paris), exploring the idea of "the disposable": disposable objects, ephemeral by nature, that have become emblematic of our consumerist society. Echoing the critical spirit of Arte Povera, the two artists provoke reflection on what we consider worthy of attention or preservation, asking, "What are we truly looking at?".
Both artists revisit and subvert conventional aesthetic codes, elevating overlooked motifs and materials to a new artistic presence.
Sculptor Luca Resta pushes serial repetition to extremes. Like a contemporary archaeologist, he gathers everyday disposable objects—plastic cutlery, packaging, cardboard, and food containers—and meticulously immortalizes them in noble and lasting materials like marble. This ironic shift from the disposable to the eternal subtly dialogues with rampant consumerism, highlighting the excesses of a society trapped in an endless cycle of production and waste.
Helena Minginowicz uses airbrush painting on fragile, often overlooked supports—paper towels, used cosmetic masks, and plastic bags—capturing fleeting moments with unsettling delicacy. Her work features provocative motifs: troubling self-portraits, unsettling hands with exaggeratedly long fingernails, hands encased in plastic gloves, and plastic bags adorned with heads of dogs or horses. Through these images, she directly challenges notions of "good taste" and confronts conventional aesthetic norms, prompting us to reconsider what we accept or reject visually.
