Unexplored Realms

Anna Bochkova and Andrea Luzi

Text curated by Domenico de Chirico

From 22 March to 30 April, 2025

Opening Friday, 21 March, 2025, 5 - 9 pm

10 & zero uno, Castello 1830, via Garibaldi, Venice

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10 & zero uno gallery in Venice is pleased to announce the duo exhibition Unexplored Realms with works by Anna Bochkova and Andrea Luzi, with a critical essay by Domenico de Chirico.

The exhibition opens to the public on 21 March, from 5 p.m., on the occasion of the Venice Gallery Weeekend promoted by the Venice Galleries View association, of which 10 & zero one is part.

Unexplored Realms invites the viewer to embark on a multi-sensorial journey through unknown territories, where the time of events is different from our own, as Eugenio Montale observed, in a liminal state in which reality merges eurhythmically with the imagination, and the unknown gradually reveals itself in unexpected forms. Each work in the exhibition explores uncontaminated dimensions, stimulating curiosity and the desire to discover new points of reference. In a dialogue between the visible and the invisible, the empirical and the oblivious, the distant and the proximity, between gestures that are sometimes reserved and sometimes casual, and between alternating pastel colours and auroral tones, the pastel colours and auroral tones, the two artists lead us beyond the boundaries of our perception, inviting us to reflect on what remains subterranean, but no less important and, at the same time, just as authentic. Unexplored Realms pushes us to reconsider our understanding of the world from its roots, proposing a vision that goes beyond tacit and acciduous conventions, catapulting us into a boundless territory where the potential of exploration is freed from any kind of contraction and the thrill of discovery becomes more and more pressing. The main intention of this exhibition is to investigate that mystery which, ab illo tempore, shrouds our perception of reality, obscuring the idea that there may exist worlds or parallel dimensions, but which, nevertheless, persist and manifest themselves beyond our sudden capacity for comprehension. What is more, this concept is intertwined with the vision of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, who, in his reflection on perception, reminds us that our knowledge of the world is always partial and mediated by the body. For Merleau-Ponty, awareness is a bodily process that is constantly evolution, since what we explore is often limited by our sensory capacity. Even in the context of Unexplored Realms, reconnaissance is inevitably constrained by the boundaries of our bodies and senses, leaving space for an ‘invisible realm’ that we can never truly know or dominate. In this way, the exhibition invites us to confront the impossibility of fully understand what eludes our perception, while emphasising the desire to want to get ever closer to that unknown. In parallel, the concept of ‘being’ by Martin Heidegger, as described in Being and Time, reflects an aspect of the ‘unknown’ that surrounds and defines us. Heidegger invites us to see being not as a motionless concept, but as an unintelligible mystery. In this sense, Unexplored Realms can be interpreted as a reminder of this elusive ‘being’ elusive, urging us to constantly reflect on it. And so, according to these precepts, the exhibition in question brings into dialogue two distinct but complementary artistic voices: Andrea Luzi and Anna Bochkova. Both explore invisible and mysterious worlds, territories still unknown to human perception, but equally charged with meaning, within a laborious process that shapes the delicate stream of consciousness. While Luzi delves into the disturbing capillary dimensions, both conceptual and visual, of light and space, Bochkova, with her more emotional and sensorial approach, evokes dreamlike atmospheres that transcend tangible reality. In this context, each work, a portal to a world beyond the visible, offers a profound reflection on the unseen and the unknown, bringing out the potential of these virgin realms, not yet ploughed.

Andrea Luzi, through his research into light and space, explores the interaction between physical reality and sensory perception. His astral works, characterised by a meditative reflexivity, induce the viewer to confront the transformative power of light and its innumerable transformative power of light and its innumerable nuances, creating atmospheres that blur the line between the concrete and the abstract. His art suggests the idea of a world that can never be fully grasped, where perception is always becoming and evolving. Specifically, his research explores the interconnection between the four primordial elements - earth, air, water and fire – and the ether, creating a symbolic link that unites the material and the immaterial, the physical and the transcendental. Each element, which has always been considered a fundamental principle of nature and the cosmos, is presented as part of an ever-changing dynamic whole. The ether, in this context, acts as an invisible space that connects the elements, acting as a conduit of energy and symbol of the sublime, keeping the the various principles. The representation of the elements is not static, but manifests itself in a continuous dance where the boundaries between them dissolve.

The spectator is invited to explore a symbolic universe in which each element, with its destructive and transformative power, leaves traces on others, generating a tension between harmony and chaos, creation and dissolution. Focusing in particular on the lyricism of the four elements, the heart of this new series of works ranges from the symbols of ancient civilisations, such as the Aztec and Egyptian, to the contemporary iconography of the subcultures of the 1990s, via graffiti and hardcore punk/electronic music. From this fusion gives birth to an exotic composition, a tribute to natural immersion and a interweaving of reality and dreamlike representation.

Anna Bochkova, on the other hand, with her imaginative language and poetic visceral, transports us into a universe of intimate and profound emotions. Her works, rich in symbolism, explore the border between inner and outer reality, between dreaming and waking. His figurative, sometimes surrealistic approach prompts the viewer to question the invisible forces that shape our existence, inviting us to explore unknown dimensions of the mind and soul. The artist explores themes related to utopia, the future, healing and society, observed through the lens of personal narratives, often intertwined with stories of diaspora. His works, which include sculpture, drawing and installations, invite critical reflection and open to dialogue, stimulating the imagination of alternative realities. Using materials such as papier-mâché, ceramics, textiles, metal and paper, he creates conceptual spaces in which in which human and non-human beings interact, taking care of each other, within fictional and, in equal measure, futuristic worlds. His practice feeds on of theoretical research, often inspired by philosophers and leading figures from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, exploring themes related to future absolute equality and alternative forms of communication. Revisiting these concepts in a contemporary context, the artist, through the perspective of a intimate personal mythology, the artist creates contemplative spaces that expand the collective imagination collective imagination of possible, hopefully better future worlds. Therefore, the dialogue between Andrea Luzi and Anna Bochkova creates an agglomeration of elements that tacitly intertwine between worlds that brush against each other without overlapping, between tangible realities and unreal visions, light and shadow, chaos and order, resilience and gentleness, beyond their appearance. Unexplored Realms is a journey into the unknown, an exploration of the potential hidden behind every surface, space and emotion. It’ an invitation to look beyond the familiar, to embrace uncertainty and discover new realms, both within the heart of us and beyond.

BIO

Anna Bochkova (*1995, Rostov-on-Don) is a visual artist based in Hamburg, holding an MFA in Sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and a Master’s from the Hamburg University of Fine Arts. Her practice explores mythological environments through sculptural installations, where her works become characters that provoke critical reflection and open dialogue. Using media such as papier-mâché, ceramics, textiles, and drawing, she delves into themes of utopia, care, migration, and feminist theory, often viewed through the lens of personal mythology and her migratory background. Through her figurative ceramics and speculative worlds, Bochkova invites audiences to reimagine narratives, exploring gestures of care and alternative futures inspired by Eastern European and Soviet theoretical frameworks. Her work has been featured in international exhibitions, including Belvedere 21 Museum in Vienna, Eigen+Art Lab, Kunstverein Harburger Bahnhof, Kunsthaus Hamburg, Galleria Mimmo Scognamiglio, Tomas Umrian Contemporary, Spazio Serra in Milan, Austrian Cultural Forum Rome, Contemporary Cluster Rome, etc.

Andrea Luzi (*1997, Ancona) lives and works between Vienna and Milan. In 2020, he graduated in decoration from the Academy of Fine Arts in Urbino. In 2019 he founded Hardchitepture together with Lorenzo Conforti and Vittorio Zeppillo, an installation writing collective. The nature of his pictorial production is characterised by a constant inaudibility and a recurring combination, not only compositional, but also iconographic, between high and low culture: in this sense, elements traceable to an obscure and folkloristic dimension experience a possible and controversial sacredness. In 2025 he wins the Isorropia prize for Prisma Art Prize “Conflict Feelings”, curated by Domenico De Chirico, Contemporary Cluster, Rome. Andrea Luzi’s solo exhibitions include “L’odore dei fulmini”,2024, with a text by Federico Montagna, Germi (Milan), “Colando dalle stelle oscure”, 2024, with a text by Carlo Sala, Galleria 10 & Zero Uno (Venice). Other selected group exhibitions include: ‘Call to the Arts’, 2024, Institute of Italian Culture (New York, USA), curated by Giulia Abate, Paranoid Parchetty (Bologna), 2024, curated by Arianna Tremolanti, Sofart (Matteo Novarese), Salon Palermo (Palermo), 2023, curated by Antonio Grulli and Francesco De Grandi, Rizzuto Gallery; Premio Francesco Fabbri (Pieve di Soligo (TV), 2023, curated by Carlo Sala, Villa Brandolini; In December 2023, the first Ep “La grandezza del nulla” was released by Gioia Nera, a Digital Hardcore project composed of Luzi and Frankie Wah.