Digital Wall

Fabrizio Plessi, an Italian artist and one of the pioneers of video art, perceives art as “movement.”

Since the early stages of his career, Plessi has used “water” as a central theme in his work. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, while pursuing action art and conceptual art, water remained a primary source of inspiration. He explored this theme across various media, including film, performance, sculpture, and installation. In 1974, he initiated his video work Biography of Water, marking the beginning of video as a key medium in his art. During the 1980s, Plessi expanded his video installations by incorporating natural materials such as wood, iron, and marble. One of these works, Roma (1987), presented at Documenta 8, earned him international acclaim. As technology advanced rapidly, Plessi’s work evolved in parallel.

In recent years, Plessi has shifted from combining electronic equipment and sculptural elements to creating more streamlined video installations that exclusively utilize screens. Since 2015, his minimalist tendencies have left a profound impact on audiences.

Digital Wall (2021) exemplifies this minimalist approach. The work consists of four rectangular, geometric screens displaying the dynamic motion of water splashing in all directions. Although the movement of water is artificially simulated, it captivates viewers to the extent that the boundary between the real and artificial becomes indiscernible. By encapsulating the natural vitality of water within artificial screens, Plessi creates an illusion that feels more vivid than reality itself.