Manuel Cosentino: Behind a Little House

Artist’s Statement:

Photographed over a two-year period “Behind a Little House” is an intimate participatory art project focusing on the notion of our place in the world beneath one sky. Place, both actual and imagined, plays a key role within identity. Behind a Little House references the landscape as one of the modes of construction of notions of national identity originated during the 18th and 19th century. Throughout the work the nationalist rhetoric is abandoned and home and sky function as cross-boundary and universal symbols, implying a shared sense of belonging and responsibility. Within this rhetorical framework I invite to reflect upon the ephemeral nature of our surroundings and our role into shaping the future of our natural and constructed worlds. The narrative has been left open so that the viewer can bring their own story to bear on the photographs and contribute to the dialogue during the exhibition, when everyone is invited to intervene in the participatory artist book. What does it mean to belong? And how does it shape our perceptions and attitude towards the world?

Artist’s Bio:

Avellino, Italy

Manuel Cosentino (b.1980) is an Italian artist working with photography. He graduated from the Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome, before moving to London where he worked as a visual effects artist in the film Industry. After contributing to several movies, including Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix and Narnia Prince Caspian, he returned to Italy to focus solely on his art practice. His work has been exhibited internationally, including at Galerie Huit during Les Rencontres d’Arles (France), the Museo Diocesano Francesco Gonzaga (Italy), the Museo Civico G. Fattori (Italy), the Royal Photographic Society (London), Klompching Gallery (New York) and has been featured on the Huffington Post, Wired, L’Espresso, Blink Magazine, Lenscratch, the Colossal and Gooood (China). In recognition for his work, he has received several international awards. Recently he was the recipient of the Premio Combat for contemporary photography (Italy). His work resides in several private collections, and the permanent collection of the BibliothÃ¨que Nationale de France.