Jacopo Belloni, prize winner of New Heads 2021 at Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau, provides insight into a new chapter of his visual and anthropological research: his latest work ties in with the exploration of the loss of legibility of cultural and cultural-historical contexts.
The production of the series of cylindrical brass-bronze sculptures takes as its point of departure Belloni’s in-depth investigation of mischief-preventing symbols. Stripped of their original purpose, mass-produced jewelry pendants now serve largely to add commercial value.
Although few are aware of the traditional meanings of the individual symbols, marketers, especially at popular tourist destinations, still profit from the sensuous super-sensuous appeal of these objects. Belloni’s installation returns the metallic amulets to the place where they were made and evokes their original use value in the exhibition space in an almost spectral way. Thus, a discussion unfolds about the need for rituals and their place in our society. Following the intertwining of esotericism and art in the 20th century, Belloni integrates the jewelry objects into the museum context and, with his sculptural installation, refers to common strategies of ensouling everyday objects in modern cultural history. As popular mass-produced goods, the protective objects express a desire for an enchantment of the world. By dealing with the original mythologies of the protective symbols, Belloni succeeds in critically questioning contemporary forms of this popular legend-making.