Life Synthetic

The exhibition "LIFE SYNTHETIC" presents a series of biomorphic light sculptures in fiberglass and metal by Edoardo Cozzani. As the relationship between the natural and the man-made grows ever closer, the artist explores the potential of synthetic materials to mimic complex molecular structures necessary to build living organisms. When does an inert object turn into a living thing? This question is becoming very pressing in the field of evolution biology.

Inspired by a recent theoretical framework called “the assembly theory”, the artist aims at connecting our understanding of how we came to be to what we will become. Informed by a background in photography, Cozzani approaches his sculptural practice with the idea of creating three-dimensional 'snapshots' of natural forms. Fiber glass, soaked with wax and resin, is applied with scientific craftsmanship over an arrangement of rocks. This works as a membrane that captures their volume and shape.

Once the mold solidifies, the emerging figure is peeled away and separated from its body, turning into a trace of something that could (have) been. The form transcends its source embracing a new function, the essence of the rock exists only as a memory of its own evolution. As fossilized presences, Cozzani’s creations live independently, eroding the distinction between the organic and the manufactured. Like floating creatures, they come to life as the light below filters through the intricate texture of the pieces, revealing their apparent cellular infrastructure.

Despite their tangible plasticity, the eye perceives a primal affinity with these figures, as if entering an ecosystem born from the artist's visceral imagination. "LIFE SYNTHETIC" is a testament to a world in which the natural and the artificial not only coexist but mutually shape one another, leaving traces of possible future realities.