KICK OFF – Piccola ricerca su giochi, sport e castelli
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Clara Cebrián
KICK OFF
A small research on games, sports, and castles
Curated by Natalie Zangari
MO.CA – Via Moretto 78, Brescia
Neoclassical Rooms
Opening: Saturday, October 26, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Open until November 17
Opening hours:
Wednesday to Saturday: 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
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Exhibition made in collaboration with the Municipality of Brescia, MO.CA – Center for New Cultures, BELLEARTI Association, and Fraternità Impronta Cooperative.
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KICK OFF opens on October 26 at the Neoclassical Rooms of the MO.CA – Center for New Cultures in Brescia, inviting the public on a journey that transcends mere artistic observation, transforming into an introspective exploration where different and seemingly irreconcilable themes unite and blend seamlessly. Curated by Natalie Zangari, this exhibition presents Clara Cebrián’s (Madrid, 1991) deeply personal yet universal reflection on memory and community, filtered through the prism of play. It is an exhibition that does not offer conclusions but celebrates starting points: the “kick-off,” as the title suggests.
The exhibition is the result of a three-week artist residency in Brescia, during which Cebrián observed and absorbed the city’s architecture, shadows, lights, and rhythms. In the silence of its narrow streets and under the watchful eye of the imposing castle and ancient Roman Forum, the artist found the perfect environment to develop new visions and ideas. KICK OFF is the first step of this journey, a collection of thoughts and insights that, instead of converging into defined forms, remain open to interpretation, mirroring the chaotic and spontaneous nature of the creative process.
In this calm chaos lie her studies and views of Brescia’s castle, dominating the city and recalling an era of chivalry and heraldic symbols. Inspired by the historical stratification of the city, Cebrián explores new directions, reworking elements of ancient geometries and heraldic symbols, transforming them into graphic forms to explore belonging, identity, and collective memory. In this sense, her pieces evoke the majesty of Brescia’s castle and, simultaneously, the power of play to reenact human dynamics through rules and precise structures.
Within MO.CA’s Neoclassical Rooms, visitors will be immersed in a heterogeneous universe made of memories, fragments of daily life, and mental landscapes. Clara Cebrián, with her vibrant and immediate language, reworks each image, transforming it into a symbol of what was and what could be. Here, play is not mere amusement but an element of contemplation and a catalyst for new meanings. In a setting that reflects the organized chaos of creative thought, the artworks appear as visual notes, arranged according to an inner, almost secret logic. In KICK OFF, Clara Cebrián invites the public to join her on this artistic “kick-off,” where each image is an open chapter in a narrative, a starting point for further exploration, play, and imagination.
During her residency, Cebrián collaborated with the Fraternità Impronta Cooperative, specifically with the young people of the Azimut Community, in a creative workshop that allowed for the exploration of themes of play and memory through art. During the workshop, the youth had the opportunity to express their vision and experiences in a personal and authentic way, actively participating in the creation of collective artworks. This project represents a further connection between the artist and the Brescia community, fostering a dialogue between diverse life stories, united by a quest for meaning and shared creativity.
The exhibition opening will take place on Saturday, October 26, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and will remain open until November 17 in the Neoclassical Rooms of MO.CA, offering the public a chance to immerse themselves in this creative adventure blending past and present, history and fantasy. With KICK OFF, Clara Cebrián invites us into her creative universe, where abstraction meets the everyday, and figurative fragments intertwine with words that evoke memories, fleeting emotions, and the reality of her studio. Through deliberately simple procedures, the artist brings ordinary details to the forefront, transforming them into protagonists in a visual narrative that brings us back to what is truly essential.
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