Marcello Maloberti | Martellate

The artist Marcello Maloberti (* 1966 Codogno, Italy) activates the facade of the Kestner Gesellschaft: "Das Publikum ist mein Körper" (engl. The audience is my body) rises above the entrance as a powerful statement in handwritten black letters on a white background. The large-format installation is part of the “Martellate” (hammer blows) project - a series of poetic texts that Maloberti has conceived as an intimate diary and “result of being in love every day” between the private and the political and exhibited in public space over the past 30 years.

The statement represents a central message in times of the corona pandemic by pointing out the relationship with the audience and emphasizing the social role of art. In addition, the statement is also an expression of appreciation and gratitude to the audience, whose presence only completes the work of the artist and the mission of the institution.

The work of Marcello Maloberti is the prelude to a new format of the Kestner Gesellschaft, the aim of which is to stay in contact with the audience during the lockdown and to increase the visibility of the house in public space. In 2021, the facade will be used by various international artists, including talks with Sharon Lockhart (USA) and Tim Etchells (UK). The facade project of Marcello Maloberti is accompanied by a campaign that will include posters in the urban space, postcards and screens on passenger television in January 2021.

The artist Marcello Maloberti lives in Milan. For his artistic practice he draws inspiration from trivial events and urban contexts. The neorealistic visionary approach of his research often goes beyond the everyday and includes a poetic dimension. In his work, Maloberti proves the relationship between art and life by exploring new approaches in photography, video art, performance, installation, sculpture, and drawing to create a contemporary total work of art.