
Pescheria da Canemorto
Solo exhibition, 2023
MATTA, Milano (Italy)
Solo exhibition, 2023
MATTA, Milano (Italy)
The project transforms an exhibition space into a fully-fledged fish shop, where various types of works on paper by CANEMORTO are prepared and sold just as they would be at the fish counter: fried drawings, drawing tartare, drawings in oil, drawings in salt, frozen drawings, scaled, filleted, and more.
Entirely designed and created by the artists, the space replicates a typical local fish shop down to the smallest detail, complete with shop window, sign, refrigerated counter, cash register, product shelves, price list, and maritime decorations. For the entire duration of the project, the CANEMORTO trio take on the roles of fishmongers; stationed behind the counter, they greet the public with the brazen attitude of market traders, urging visitors to purchase ‘fresh products’ with shouted deals and slogans. The performance also actively involves the three MATTA gallerists, who assume the roles of cashier and shop assistant, further building the surreal atmosphere of a family-run shop.
At the Pescheria da Canemorto, curious passersby and seasoned art collectors are treated without distinction, finding themselves immersed in a parallel reality, where it is perfectly normal to treat art like fish and sell it as an everyday commodity, with prices starting from just a few pennies.
The project marks the third chapter in a series of performance exhibitions related to food (Pizzeria da Canemorto, Kapow, Gent, 2017 – Osteria da Canemorto, San Biagio, Orsenigo, 2019) in which CANEMORTO blurs the distinction between everyday spaces and the art world, challenging market dynamics, the value and conservation of works, and the distinctions between art and craftsmanship.
WATCH THE TRAILER
Photographs by Luisa Porta
Entirely designed and created by the artists, the space replicates a typical local fish shop down to the smallest detail, complete with shop window, sign, refrigerated counter, cash register, product shelves, price list, and maritime decorations. For the entire duration of the project, the CANEMORTO trio take on the roles of fishmongers; stationed behind the counter, they greet the public with the brazen attitude of market traders, urging visitors to purchase ‘fresh products’ with shouted deals and slogans. The performance also actively involves the three MATTA gallerists, who assume the roles of cashier and shop assistant, further building the surreal atmosphere of a family-run shop.
At the Pescheria da Canemorto, curious passersby and seasoned art collectors are treated without distinction, finding themselves immersed in a parallel reality, where it is perfectly normal to treat art like fish and sell it as an everyday commodity, with prices starting from just a few pennies.
The project marks the third chapter in a series of performance exhibitions related to food (Pizzeria da Canemorto, Kapow, Gent, 2017 – Osteria da Canemorto, San Biagio, Orsenigo, 2019) in which CANEMORTO blurs the distinction between everyday spaces and the art world, challenging market dynamics, the value and conservation of works, and the distinctions between art and craftsmanship.
WATCH THE TRAILER
Photographs by Luisa Porta














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