At the core of my practice is an interest in interconnectedness – the play between form and formlessness, transience and timelessness, imagination and awareness. Nature and its contemplation are a recurrent theme, pointing to the viewer’s inner stillness. I employ various media, from drawing and painting to photography, video, text and installation.
Following in the steps of previous camera-based projects such as “Veil” (2016-2018) and “Mirage” (2022-2024), the series “Seaside” attempts to capture its subjects’ presence, beyond the mere sense of sight. Employing soft focus and emphasising the evocative possibilities offered by the medium, the works appear reminiscent of pictorialism – the international movement prevailing in late nineteenth and early twentieth century photography, valuing painterly and otherworldly aesthetics. Yet in this case the prints are faithful to the original shots, devoid of any digital postproduction such as tonal and chromatic range adjustments.
The images seem to hover between visions of wakefulness and dream, perception and memory, highlighting the ephemeral aspects of existence. Ultimately, they point to the very ground of being holding the everchanging landscape of our daily experiences and surroundings – much like the camera sensor being impressed and only temporarily absorbing each view, while remaining unchanged in its essence.
“Seaside” was created during a trip to the region where I first saw the sea as a child.
For this contest, I have selected a single piece from the larger series.
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BIOGRAPHY
Matteo Rosa was born in Italy in 1978 and is currently based in Malmö, Sweden.
He holds a BA (Hons) from Edinburgh College of Art and an MFA from Malmö Art Academy.
Over the years, his work has been shown at numerous venues, including Kramfors Konsthall, Kramfors (SE), Skånes Konstförening, Malmö (SE), Krognoshuset, Lund (SE), Uppsala Konstmuseum, Uppsala (SE), Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm (SE), Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen (DK), City Art Centre, Edinburgh (GB), E:vent Gallery, London (GB), The Boiler Room Gallery, Oslo (NO), Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum, Tromsø (NO), Galleria Civica, Trento (IT), Museo Alto Garda, Riva del Garda (IT) and Viafarini, Milan (IT).
The artist is represented in public collections such as Malmö Art Museum, Scania Regional Council, Public Art Agency Sweden and KORO - Public Art Norway, as well as in multiple private collections across Europe.