BESTIE

In “BESTIE”, Sante Visioni’s third solo-exhibition held at GALLERY ETHER, the artist delves into the complex relationship between human nature and the animalistic instincts that lie within us. Through a series of paired paintings, the artist explores the duality of human traits, using animals as metaphors for qualities such as loyalty, wisdom, courage, and intelligence. Each pair of works represents the delicate balance between virtue and vice, with one piece offering a depiction of the positive trait, while its counterpart portraying the darker, untamed side. Playing on the double meaning of "bestie", which in English refers to a best friend, while in Italian, it means beasts, the exhibition challenges viewers to reflect on the ever-present struggle between "unleashing" these powerful characteristics and "taming" them, emphasizing the fine line between strength and destruction, freedom and chaos. Drawing from animal symbolism and the metaphor of inner demons, Sante Visioni's work prompts introspection on how we navigate our primal urges in the pursuit of balance and self-control. The paintings reveal that the act of mastering these forces is a dance—one that is never fully resolved, but continually negotiated. This exhibition invites the audience to confront their own dualities and the shadowy parts of themselves that remain untamed.