Eingangstore Exp1 2017

Alfio Giuffrida made this painting, “Eingangstore Exp1,” using acrylic and collage on canvas. We can see a doorway, flanked by collections of objects. This artwork invites us to consider the relationship between interior and exterior spaces, both physical and psychological. The doorway might represent a threshold or a transition. The objects, arranged on either side, have the character of possessions or tools. They seem almost to suggest the kind of objects that might be found in an institutional setting, or in a workshop. Giuffrida was born in Syracuse, Italy, in 1953, but studied and lived in Germany. His art practice focuses on the way that abstract structures reflect historical spaces. As historians, we can look to sources from the artist’s life, and from the places he has lived, to understand his work more deeply. By studying Giuffrida’s influences, we can better understand the dialogue between the artist and the spaces he has inhabited.