IN A WORLD OF EPHEMERAL BEAUTY, COLLECTING ART AGAINST THE PASSING OF TIME

In a world contaminated by ephemeral beauty, collecting works of art becomes an attempt to oppose the passing of time by immortalising passion, curiosity and a taste for discovery. These are the sentiments that animate a collector and accompany him in the selection of objects for collection: a manifestation of his way of being. To collect is to establish an intimate and profound bond with the works and to express one's artistic sensibility within a harmonious whole. Indeed, faced with the multiplicity of categories through which art expresses itself, the idea of a single space in which they can coexist seems almost utopian. Yet within the Enzo Nembrini collection, there is no distinction between materials, genres and artistic styles. Combining modernity and tradition, the ancient art of weaving dialogues with the contemporary creativity of site-specific installations; canvas alternates with ceramics; and photography confirms the relevance of its function of making an instant eternal. In this sense, the innovative weaves of the textile practice of artist Maria Lai (Ulassai, 1919 - Cardedu, 2013) may recall, albeit with different results, the steel curves of Jaume Plensa's (Barcelona, 1955) imposing sculptures, versatile enough to generate the soft lines of a female face. Emerging realities interact with others already established, to draw attention, under a veil of irony and disorientation, to the contemporary problems of the planet we inhabit. Similarly, the act of turning the camera lens towards oneself unites artistsə such as Zanele Muholi (Umlazi, South Africa, 1972) and Martine Gutierrez (Berkeley, United States, 1989), with the intention of transforming one's own body into a site of reflection towards the stereotypes generated by gender, class and race discrimination. The centrality of the human figure, therefore, in its deepest essence and with its constant desire to rise above boundaries, is the thread running through most of the works in the Nembrini collection. Faced with the awareness of his own limits, man is pervaded by a vortex of conflicting emotions, poised between the desire to try to cross them and the tension of not being able to. And it is precisely through the creation of works that artists attempt to 'enter into dialogue with that tension'. As in the transliteration games of the Belgian artist Ode De Kort (Malle, Belgium, 1992) and in the verbo-visual research of Mirella Bentivoglio (Klagenfurt, Austria, 1922 - Rome, 2017), tools that allow the body and mind to be exempt from their duties. Faced with such a material and thematic fusion, what most deeply fascinates Enzo Nembrini is the relationship between art and community. Collection becomes synonymous with sharing, in the awareness of the strong role that culture holds within our society. Thus, the works not only confront each other, but also a broader public, making themselves available for wider enjoyment. This is the case of the event "Venere Bugiarda" (Liar Venus), organised in honour of the site-specific interventions by the artist Nina Carini (Palermo, 1984), with the idea of making private collecting a common heritage. The Nembrini collection represents, therefore, the ideal place to meet and admire timeless beauty.