In the Middle of Now-Where

THE DESIGN Gallery is excited to announce an exhibition of Manuel Bonfanti, one of the most distinctive Italian artists of today. Known for his large-scale paintings and his ability to capture space and light. He brings to Prague his new collection that explores the boundaries between the visible and invisible worlds.

Strongly influenced by his studies at the Brera Academy under Maurizio Fabre, Bonfanti’s work is more than just painting on canvas. As Bonfanti himself says: “When I paint, I am not human”. His approach to art is driven by the technical knowledge of masters such as Tiziano and Tiepolo, as well as the influence of modern icons such as Pollock, Richter and Sigmar Polke, who shaped his style during his studies in Milan.

Bonfanti considers painting not just a visual experience, but a physical act. He exercises daily and this physicality is reflected in his painting. As he describes it, it is an “action painting” in which he uses his whole body, like Jackson Pollock, moving the brush with his whole hand, which creates dynamism and energy in his works. This way of working is also inspired by the pulsating light of Caravaggio’s paintings.

Bonfanti’s monumental canvases reflect today’s need to escape the constant data deluge of screens and the digital world. “Big canvases are important today. We watch them instead of screens that pollute our perception of reality”. His works reconnect us with the poetry of space and corporeality. The immersive quality of these canvases opens up an intellectual, physical and spiritual dimension where the viewer engages in a personal dialogue with the work.

The exhibition, which will open at THE DESIGN gallery in Prague, offers a unique experience for anyone who wants to be carried away by this intense connection between art, space and physical experience.