Sculptural Chemistry: Spatial intersections in steel works of sculptor Alfio Mongelli
by Genny DI BERT
“The field of physics/mathematics that characterizes the imposing works of Algio Mongelli is transformed by an expressive freedom that confounds any scientific pattern. The unity and sythnesis achieved in his creations, whether large sculptural manifestations in stainless steel or geometric graphic forms, reveal the exceptional quality of this artist among the most successful contemporary artists.”
Thus wrote Nobel prize winner Rita Levi Montalcini in 1994 referring to the Roman artist Algio Mongelli (born 1939). An astute observation on the part of a perceptive scientist who, oblivious to the writings of the most renowned and profound art critics (Mussa, Masi, Strinati, Benincasa, Crispolti, Restany, Berger) arrived at the most defining aspect of the artist’s work: sythesis. It is from this core that his works originate––seemingly simplistic, oddly logical in content, their structure a relationship between space and substance.