++++ Anybody who sees the contribution to Manifesta by Roberto Cuoghi without knowing the story behind it sees a never-ending sunrise over the sea on video accompanied by a sweet melody. It transforms itself immediately again into a sunset in order to start again from the beginning. A simple metaphor, therefore, for the vain attempt to overcome finiteness. The story behind this, however, is disturbing in the case of Roberto Cuoghi. The artist is 29 years old and looks like a premature pensioner. Cuoghi, who lives in Milan, decided four years ago to transform himself into his father. He intentionally changed his stature, his hairstyle, his clothes, his entire behaviour in order to become as similar as possible to his father, and that, although he says that he really resembles his mother much more.
He had to put on weight to fit his father's clothes which he had asked for from his father. He now has eating disturbances and also in other ways he is putting his body under strain through his accelerated ageing. But when he has to explain to an aunt whom he hasn't seen for a long time what he is actually doing, the artist always says, "It is just a work". Then they are a little bit assured, but probably falsely so. At Christmas, however, his friends and family in the meantime are giving him clothes which fit his father project. There are even supposed to be women who are interested in the man who seems to be in his mid-fifties. His efforts are given the most recognition where they are not perceived as such at all.
His father died last year, but Roberto Cuoghi is not sure whether it is better to again become who he once was. It would not be any trouble, he thinks, because he is not obliged to anybody in his role. But the experiment is still going on. "It is an escape which has become a trap," is how the artist describes his bizarre experiment with himself. His persistence has something desperate about it, something deeply melancholy. Like the sunrise which is never allowed to end and therefore from the start is doomed to failure.
Frankensteiner Hof, Große Rittergasse 103 hoh