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FATIMA MESSANA: ORACLE OF THE ABYSS

di Maria Rita Montagnani

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When bitter Hecate
descends
You cannot flee
her loathsome wing
Like a caress
she strikes a
mortal blow.
You hide in a world
that does not yet exist.
All that is most obscure
is akin to you.

Milo Rossi

The sculptures of Fatima Messana bring into play two opposing and contrasting forces – thought and emotion – which, within their dialectic and creative contrast, become complementary and necessary to one another. In fact, thought builds conjecture that is often demolished by emotion, just as feelings create new ways and worlds that reason then investigates, making them intelligible, developing the dimension of awareness.
Fatima Messana seems to be burdened with the weight and mass of an archaic heritage, centuries old, that the young artist manages to combine with her expert knowledge of modern materials and techniques to forge work that is contemporary and immediate. But today, the present is and remains a territory that is more uncertain and arduous than ever, a no-man’s land, a hazardous terrain swept by thousand-year old gales and storms but that could still emerge as a fertile land for new visions and unconventional existential perspectives.

In these works there is something that is not openly expressed, but only hinted and barely palpable; something sibylline, almost prescient,… there is a sensation of danger, an imminent or future threat, that casts a long shadow of strange foreboding before and within us like a sense of uneasy presentiment or vague premonition. And this presentiment is the place of our conscious inconsistency, the root of fearful unknown territories teeming with shadows, doubts, queries and terrifying bottomless voids that open up among rock-hard human certainties. In this state of suspension, everything is on the brink of toppling from its solid immobility, as if an invisible mind or hand places each thing in precarious equilibrium on the sense of its own enigma.

If, for the artist, sculpture signifies giving a familiar face to what is most foreign to us, for Fatima Messana it represents tearing away the customary face of the things that seem recognisable to return them to their obscure origins… finally flinging them magnificently into the abyss of the void and the unknown.
Maria Rita Montagnani

Art critic / independent curator

FATIMA MESSANA

by Alessandra Mazziotta

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[…] “Man is a mystery. I delve into this mystery because I want to be a man,” said Dostoyevsky. And it is from this quote that Fatima Messana’s fascination with human nature seems to come, a human nature in which she perceives a profound contradiction of the instinctive-rational “beast”, identifiable in a “social animal” that creates and destroys – at the same time creating and destroying itself – generating a chain of historical processes that usually repeat themselves. This repetition becomes memory, blending past and future into a present coexistence. We have before us an artist who wants to deal with the truth by measuring herself in a dialectically open relationship with reality, a powerful source of reflection.

For Messana, sculpture becomes the fruit of this reflection, transformed into an incredible means of communication; what Fatima Messana herself defines as creatures, are the result of important research into existential themes, which tackles the contemporary social delirium without filters. The form’s realism takes on a very central role, even achieving a hyperrealism and allowing the message to become transcendent for the viewer, an emblematic and sometimes mocking message.
Messana is an artist who has identified and chosen her path well, and she does this with the consistency of someone who has much to express. She investigates life and death, but also burning topics such as religion and politics, until she arrives at the most spiritual reflection for mind and body in the state of intolerance and appearance that assails the Being, in a perverse cyclical pattern that must comply with Man. Her humanoid sculptures are redolent of a potential allegorical reflection that is even more original than the contemporary influences.

The most striking example can be found in the work entitled “Testiculos qui non habet, Papa Esse non posset” taken from “Prova di virilità (Virility Test)” by Francesco Sorrentino. The sculpture is inspired by the myth/legend regarding that probable and unique female who ascended to the papal throne, and who may have governed the church under the male name of Giovanni (John) VIII from 853 to 855.
According to the narrative, the papess did not exempt herself from sexual practices and became pregnant. In the solemn procession of Holy Easter, the papess, after having celebrated mass in the Basilica of St. Peter, returned to the Lateran; during the Papal Procession, the crowd’s enthusiasm frightened the horse ridden by the Pontiff. Following the animal’s violent reaction, the papess went into premature labour. Once the secret was discovered, the papess suffered the indignation and anger of the crowd, which dragged her by her feet through the streets of Rome and later stoned her to death. There are numerous versions of this story such as the one reported in the texts by Martino di Troppau, according to which Pope Joan may have died as a result of the labour or, once her identity had been discovered, was locked away in a convent.

The crucial part of the legend is a ritual that was never actually performed, but idealized and taken up again, in an anti-Roman key, by 16th-century Protestant authors. There was an assumption that every pope, before ascending to the throne, had to be subjected to an embarrassing intimate examination attesting to their virility. The examination consisted of making the future pope sit on a red porphyry commode, in the presence of a forum: the young deacons had to ascertain that the future pope had masculine attributes.
For this and all her other works, the artist starts by creating a preparatory sketch to make the armour: the soul-skeletons of the sculptures that are made of iron covered with plastic material and modelled like clay; following this she makes plaster or silicone moulds according to the shape she intends to create, then goes on to use resin as the final material.

In the work “Testiculos qui non habet, Papa Esse non posset”, the body that Messana has modelled is dressed in a hand-sewn garment in which the portrayal of a woman is recognizable, a papess, to be precise, devoid of a face and an identity. It becomes an even greater critical reflection, on the part of the artist, on the theme of exclusion, still in existence today, of women from exclusive and secularized positions, the prerogative of the male gender. But it is also a reflection on the truths and lies that can hide behind a white robe. The sculptural figure elegantly flaunts a blessing hand wearing the papal ring, with the other holding the orb. There is symbolic tradition in this, with the exception of the cross hanging from the neck, where there seems to be no crucified Christ, but a body with feminine features.

This artistic work bases all its essence on the controvertible cyclical nature of a present absence and an absent presence, attributable to the eclectic and elusive movement of postmodern philosophy. But it tends to become, metaphorically, a voice for liberation from convention, schemes, true or fantastic histories. But above all, it wants to put forward a fertile seed for deep reflection and legitimate questioning.
Messana’s ability lies not only in the impeccable and sage nature of her artistic production, but also in her suggestive ability to win over the curious eye of the viewer who, apparently unaware, finds himself having to tackle open questions; the artist grants the viewer the gift of free interpretation: only then is the work complete. The contemporary essence in this art comes from the message that the work conveys, and while its rendering is even more suggestive, the viewer will find himself facing a spectacle that takes shape in reality and draws deep inspiration from it; the result is very strong works with great appeal.

The known-unknown mystery tied to the figure of the papess has aroused curiosity in the human race in various periods. Since the nineteenth century, the legend has influenced many writers and, in more recent years, directors have told the story on the big screen; we recall “Pope Joan”, the 2009 film directed by Sönke Wortmann and based on the novel of the same name by Donna Woolfolk Cross. The image of the papess is also linked to the dubious practice of cartomancy or fortune telling, where it generally represents the secret knowledge and duality between the material universe and the spiritual universe.
The Papess is the second card of the major arcana of the tarot, and is also known as the High Priestess; the duality of this card, in its positive aspect, indicates moral advice. If, on the other hand, it appears in its negative aspect, it represents ignorance, hypocrisy, falsehood, bigotry and superficiality; all elements that are probably found, in their same positive and negative senses, in Fatima Messana’s provocative work.

Provocation is what drives this artist to give her own point of view in her various creations, combined with a tone of rawness.
In the work “Innocence” (2008), we can see the clear message regarding the atrocities and monstrosities of which man can be capable. In this work of Messana’s, a young girl is tied up and hung by her wrists with a rope, apparently crucified. The presence of the Cross is the immediate symbol of torture, sacrifice and violence inflicted upon the slender childlike body that appears exhausted and powerless. The wounds are not visible, because, in this case, the pain is more in the soul than in the body. The realistic look of the work, made of fiberglass and painted with oils, also stands out for its long human hair, which belonged to the artist […]. The girl in the work is naked with dangling legs but she is “alive”. This work makes us reflect on human ugliness and aims at being a clear reference to the defence of the fragility of children and women. In contemporary art, especially that of the years of Feminism (late 1960s – 1970s), one of the main themes was the female body, which women literally undressed, undressing themselves, to carry out extremely important ideological campaigns: using this practice, women brought their bodies to the attention of the general public. Examples are found in the works “Ecce Homo” by Verita Monselles, the “Alfabetiere murale” by Bianca Menna (name in art, Tomaso Binga), and the self-representative photographs by Francesca Woodmann or performances by Marina Abramovic.

Fatima Messana, with another provocative work, “Capra! (Goat!)”, won first prize at the X PNA in 2013. The sculpture shows a finely dressed human bust with a goat’s head, made of fabric and fiberglass. The basic idea starts with the exclamation “Capra!”, made by the critic and art historian, Vittorio Sgarbi. This word, if vehemently aimed at mankind, becomes synonymous with ignorance and a lack of knowledge. Everything operates on the existential condition, in which the visible is a deception and an illusion. The artist, however, in addition to expressing her discomfort towards an increasingly base and servile humanity, also wants to show how art is acquiescent towards the powerful people, and accessible only to certain elite classes, a concept emphasized by the presence of the red lion, the emblem of the Venice Biennial, printed on the breast pocket of the figure’s jacket. Taking up Schopenhauer’s philosophy, illusion covers the face of things, veiling their authentic essence or even, as Pirandello pointed out, the external reality, even though it is unique and immutable, concealing one hundred thousand realities, as many as there are human beings.

The genre changes but the material quality remains the same, thanks to the wise use of fiberglass, also used in the work “Frosted Hearts” from 2013. In this evocative installation, Messana exhibits three iced-over, still hearts suspended in space and time; they move if they are brought to life by external factors but, at the same time, are almost frozen in a sugary candour. Perhaps they are a metaphor for a person who has veiled their own heart, depriving themselves of those feelings that would have led them to a different set of ethics from those of today. The heart is the central engine of the circulatory apparatus, therefore a vital source: its symbolism in art and in other fields intends it as a symbol for the spirituality, emotions and morality inherent in human beings.
At one time, the heart was thought to be the centre of the human mind, but in this artist’s work, it appears to be more like a relic, tinted white. White is the colour of purity, cleanliness, innocence, birth and meticulousness. In paleo-Christian art, the robes of the saints, the pure of heart, and of course, children, were painted white. White is the colour that cancels out all the other colours and obliterates evil, while, on the other hand, it maintains the greatest authenticity possible.

inventive fulcrum is to allow the viewers to interpret her work as freely as possible, causing them to reflect rather than be static and passive. For this purpose, the artist uses such means as denunciation, amazement, and an inherent violent destabilization, which emerge from her works as images that aim at jolting the viewers’ minds.
In as much as she is a “figure” who belongs to this society, Messana wants to express her thoughts, her truth and her personal taste in regard to events and issues she would like to change, making her voice heard somehow, through the most intimistic and spiritual means for an artist.”

Alessandra Mazziotta

(Art critic / curator)

source: D.R. Tedeschi, S. Pieralice, L.Carini, F. Peligra, G. Vulcano, A. Fanti, A. Mazziotta, A. Fantuzzi, R. Miniati, G. Faccenda, V. Tassinari, M. Beraldo, C. Strinati, E.M. Eleuteri, (curated by), SWEET DEATH – Fatima Messana, 56° Biennale di Venezia catalogo della mostra, pp. 218,219,220,221; Editoriale Giorgio Mondadori, Roma, 2015

FATIMA MESSANA – X PNA Sculpture

by Federica Marrubini

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In today’s society the speed of communication has reached its peak. In addition to the normal means of broadcast, we also have social networks. We can go on-line any time we like, anywhere we like and this has increased the number of users and the spread of global brands and chains of every type. Communication has become everyday, instant and occurs in real time.
Thanks to internet people can divulge all kinds of information – where they will spend the evening, what they are cooking or where they are spending their holidays. People can share a song, an article about politics – even photos of the changes their bodies go through during pregnancy.
Internet is used to alarm “friends” about children spotted on buses with fake parents, or make provocative statements. These news items often provoke strong reactions and can spiral out of control, pushing people to refuse the news and run away from their responsibilities. Social networks therefore, have a limited capacity of communicating unpleasant information in a durable way.
Paedophilia, mistreatment, the exploitation of children, sexual violence, incest, the slave trade and other issues are more widespread than we are led to believe. The result of the divulgation of this type of news- before and after- does not change. Broken hearts, broken lives and broken bodies increase rather than decrease.
In contrast however, the message inherent in the work of art remains indelible. In my opinion this is what drives Fatima Messana’s work.

Messana is a young artist who has recently finished her studies at the Florentine Academy and is the winner of the first prize in sculpture at the X edition of the PNA held in Bari in 2013. She has a strong, determined personality and a sunny disposition. She began showing in 2003, and tells of the violence towards children and implicitly, of the impotence of those whose duty it should be to stop these shameful acts.
Messana does not use filters – her message is totally clear in its expression of the monstrous acts Man is capable of and the horror Man produces. In «Innocence» (2008) violence has been inflicted on a thin childish body, pained, stricken and totally impotent. There are no visible injuries, but the presence of the crucifix is an immediate symbol expressing torture and sacrifice. The feet hang loose, the hands are tied and the pubic area is uncovered. The realism of the work, made in fibreglass and painted in oil, is made more violent by the presence of the long hair which is real. This type of communication can seem crude, but it serves the artist’s intention to involve the spectator and provoke thoughtful reflection.

Fatima’s views are very clear: “Man is a tamed beast and his mind is a dangerous thing, an apocalyptic box he looks into and where he sees reflected the depths of his own being .- what he cannot control is used against those who are defenceless. The purity of an infant is what distinguishes him/her from the masses who merely survive. A child who is robbed of his/her innocence is able only to survive, by attempting to wipe out what has made him/her cold and violated, condemning him/her to the indelible memory of his/her crucifixion.”

In the contemporary, international, artistic landscape Messana is not alone in using the figures of infants to denounce crime. The public is often violently upset by the artist’s choices – which are brutal and anguishing. However, it is important to point out that the artist is certainly not the criminal who offends the common sense of respect for a young life. It is the artist who is screaming her pain – pain which is unfortunately widespread globally.

The second work presented by Fatima at “Il Cassero” is a female figure dressed in papal attire. The sculpture has never been shown before. It was completed in 2014 and can be seen here for the first time. The title «Testiculos qui non habet Papa esse non posset», is taken from the “Virility test” by Francesco Sorrentino, regarding the episode linked to the legend of the female Pope Joan who, in the mid IX Century, faked her way to becoming Pope under the name of John VIII. However, when she became pregnant, she was unmasked and stoned to death. An essential part of the legend is a rite invented by the people and taken up by Sixteenth Century protestant writers with glee. It was imagined that new Pope underwent an accurate intimate exam to make sure he was not a woman dressed up as a man. The exam took place with the new Pope sitting a stride a crimson chair which had a hole in it. The youngest deacons present had to feel under the chair in order to make sure that the Pope possessed the necessary manly attributes.
Since the XIX Century this event has interested writers and artists. In recent years two directors have brought the episode to the big screen.

Even this work portraying the woman at the head of the Church as a static and austere form – faceless and without identity – is to be interpreted as a further criticism of the artist of the existing exclusion of women from positions of power, which have been traditionally seen as the domain of men for centuries. The figure blesses the population with one hand and wears the papal ring: with the other hand the figure holds the globe. The symbols are traditional except for the cross hanging around the figure’s neck – it does not have the crucified Christ, but shows a female figure.

The third and last work on show is «Capra!» (Goat!) (2012). This is the sculpture that won first prize at the X edition of the PNA in 2013. It is shown at “Il Cassero” in the miscellaneous hall, surrounded by portraits of the permanent collection with which the sculpture seems to speak. It is the bust of a man with a goat’s head made in fibreglass and fabric. The polychrome of this work, which characterizes all the works on show, is a result of the need for realism and linked to the ancient pictorial technique practised by the artist. The idea was born from Vittorio Sgarbi, a famous art critic who repeats the word “Capra!” insistently and at length every time someone disagrees with him. The word “Capra!” indicates Man’s ignorance, lack of basic truth and lack of knowledge. Therefore it is clear that “Capra!” is the manifestation of Man’s refusal to see the horrors which afflict contemporary society. However, the presence of the Red Lion, symbol of the Venice Biennial present on the pocket of the figure’s jacket gives the work another dimension. The figure denounces the system and the target this time seem to be the Art world especially the world of official, international shows. These are elite places where talent is not always necessary in order to become famous, and where money interests and business deals dominate, even though they have little to do with genuine artistic creativity.

The work has an apparently ironic form but, in reality, it is also representative of an existential condition in which the visible is illusionary and misleading. According to Schopenhauer the illusion covers the face of things, hiding their true authentic nature. According to Pirandello external reality , despite being unique and unchangeable, hides one hundred thousand realities – as many as there are people who invariably hide behind a mask.
The works of Fatima Messana come from the profound need to communicate social unease: her sculptures are “direct” and strongly conceptual or, as she loves to define them, pure visions, expressions which rise independently from her inner life.

Federica Marrubini

indipendent curator

source: A. Panzetta, F. Marrubini (a cura di), Fatima Messana. X PNA sezione scultura, catalogo della mostra di Montevarchi, Aska, Firenze 2014.

FATIMA MESSANA – X PNA

by Alfonso Panzetta

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