Fabio Viale is a young Italian Sculptor who is based in Turin, Italy.  From one aspect he is the traditional sculptor who uses marble to create his sculptures, on the other hand though, these sculptures are no ordinary sculptures.  Who ever thought that marble would offer such opportunities in creating these distinct contemporary pieces that speak the language of today with the know-how of yesterday?

For those who are acquainted with the procedure of working with marble, they surely know that this material is not easy to handle as it requires both mental and physical efforts by the artist from the minute that the idea is conceived to its realization.  Despite its difficulty in handling there is a translucency in the material that gives any marble sculpture a visual depth beyond its surface and this evokes a certain realism in the works created.  This is the case with Fabio Viale as his works do not seem to be created from bulky marble but rather seem like they have been created by lightweight styrofoam.

The spectator creates a wrong message regarding the material which he sees.  In a way, Viale “teases” the spectator by deceiving him into believing that what he sees isn’t there!  It is a true irony to believe that the everyday object such as the paper airplanes, the tires, or the boat is not actually there and it is a demonstrative repeal of the expected.  Such examples of deceivement are found in almost all of Viale’s works ranging from 2008 to his early works in 1998 (images follow).

However, we have to admit that his latest works Souvenir David, Il vostro sarà il nostro, and Kouros have wowed us with Nico’s secret tattoo pigments!