by Dafne Crocella

Roberto Giordani, born in Cesena in 1967, grew up in his father’s workshop, surrounded by metal and fire. After working in mechanical workshops and construction sites, he trained in restoration, sculpture, and drawing. In 1998, he opened his wrought iron studio; since 2004, he has focused on art, creating sculptures, material painting, and design using metal, wood, concrete, and ceramics, often recycled. He lives in Romagna, produces works for public and private clients, and hosts artists for exhibitions and residencies in his studio. His works have been exhibited in Italy, Taiwan, Australia, the UK, Spain, Germany, Morocco, and the USA.

Your work The Wall has been selected among the 13 finalists of the 12th edition of the COMEL Award. A recognition that adds to many others you have received throughout your career as an artist and sculptor. What value do these acknowledgements hold for you? Are they confirmations and incentives for your work?

Every recognition represents a fundamental piece in an artist’s journey. Being among the finalists of the COMEL Award is not just a formal achievement to add to a résumé, but a meaningful confirmation of the dialogue my research establishes with the public and with critics. It is an incentive to continue investigating matter, knowing that my artistic language has found attentive listeners.

The work represents a wall, a subject that often recurs in your practice. Can you tell us why?

In this case, I presented the wall as a symbol of a silent force in containment and division, fully reflecting the theme of the competition. The wall sheds its architectural function to become a dual image: an element that separates but at the same time protects and defines a space.

Which walls do you feel most connected to?

I am not tied to specific physical walls; I use the wall as a universal symbol. I am fascinated by the iconic energy emanating from structures such as the Berlin Wall, the Great Wall of China, or the Western Wall—barriers that have marked human history and spirit, embodying resistance and limitation.

Orienta Beauty – Hsinchu, Taiwan

The work is created with a particular technique because the repoussé bas-relief uses a real wall as its matrix. Which wall is it?

It is a portion of the historic walls of Bologna, specifically one of the city’s twelve gates: Porta Saragozza.

What value does this wall hold for you, and why did you choose it for this call?

Its value is purely symbolic. Among the various casts I made, I chose this one because it best conveys the tactile and visual identity of the “wall” in its constructive essence, thanks to the clear pattern of the bricks that compose it.

Besides walls, doors also appear frequently in your work—an element that may seem opposed to the wall, symbolically representing closure and opening, limit and possibility. What relationship do these images have in your work? What do they represent?

The doors, which appear in this phase of my research, are chosen to capture the transformation of matter—stones and bricks—shaped by time. Often these aluminium bas-reliefs, obtained from real casts, are inked to transfer the image onto canvas; through oxidations and rust stains, I evoke what lies on the other side of the cast. At times I intervene directly on the aluminium, creating a synthesis between two spatial and temporal dimensions within a single point of view, uniting the place of the cast with the vision of elsewhere.

Feather – North Carolina, U.S.A.

Decomporsi – Port Macquarie, Australia

The repoussé of The Wall is made of aluminium, which gives the work a particular light. Have you created other works with this material? What artistic qualities do you attribute to it?

Yes, I have created several works in aluminium, including forged pieces. It is a material I greatly appreciate for its excellent plasticity and resistance. From an artistic perspective, it possesses a unique brightness and light refraction, capable of giving the work a deep metallic vibration that is difficult to achieve with other materials.

You often work in large formats. Several of your works are monumental pieces. Can you tell us something about these projects? And which of your monumental works are you most attached to, and why?

My macro-sculptures usually originate for public spaces, either on commission or during masterclasses held in colleges and universities, often abroad. I am deeply attached to all my works; I consider them like children. I have no absolute favourites, but each one holds different memories linked to the technical challenge and the human experience lived during its creation.

Stargate, Borgo Corsignano, Italia

Today you teach in Italy and abroad. Looking back, which masters of the past do you feel have inspired you and shaped your path?

My journey has been shaped by encounters with various masters, from Toni Benetton to Albert Paley and Tom Joyce, and by looking toward great sculptural references such as Brancusi and Calder.

What teachings do you carry with you today? And what do you feel most attracts young artists?

Today I teach metalworking techniques applied to contemporary sculpture. Young artists are deeply fascinated by the power of transformation: the idea of being able to dominate the hardness of metal and shape it through the action of fire.

Human encounter is particularly present in your work today—the intertwining of action and thought with that of others. Your studio often opens to training workshops, in-depth events, and artistic gatherings. How did this idea come about? And what are your upcoming events in the atelier?

The idea stems from the desire not to disperse what I have learned through years of research and experimentation; teaching my techniques to young people is an investment in the future of art. As for upcoming events, my studio will host artistic residencies designed to offer other creators the opportunity to work in a fully equipped laboratory specialized in this type of sculptural research.