On the occasion of Elisabetta Benassi's solo exhibition,  Smog a Los Angeles, Stefano Chiodi will explore the artist's practice, her relationship to the archive, time and memory, by reinserting it within a historical and political context, which she always interrogates. "Ultimately, what the artist points to is precisely the difference between knowing and seeing, between storytelling and memory, the will and the unconscious: it is this tension that restores materiality to the image and visibility to that which was hidden, giving a body to the ghost by re-inventing a new story every time. But then, as a philosopher once said, we have art in order not to die of the truth." S.C.

Stefano Chiodi is an art critic and historian. He lives in Rome. His books include La bellezza difficile (2008), Una sensibile differenza (2006).  He has also published Spazio (with D. Dardi, 2010); Marcel Duchamp. Critica, biografia, mito (2009); Le funzioni del museo (2009); annisettanta (2007); Espresso (2000). He also curates exhibitions: Marina Ballo Charmet, (2013); Mircea Cantor, Marcello Maloberti, (2013); Giulia Piscitelli, (2011); Alain Séchas, (2009); Olaf Nicolai, (2008); vedovamazzei, (2006). He co-runs www.doppiozero.com and teaches at l’Università Roma Tre.

This lecture is generously supported by Amis du CRAC.