Thomas Berra

For the Premio Cairo, Berra is presenting the painting entitled Four. Heavy as a blow - quoting the first line of the poem To the Beloved Myself
by Vladimir Majakovsky (1893-1930). A lone figure with deformed features dominates an undefined and fragmented rural landscape,
almost as if it were an extension of the sense of anguish experienced by the subject in the foreground. “The work speaks of restlessness,” comments Berra, ”of imbrutishment and temporal and existential suspension.” Above appears a dwelling with a discreet presence, a hopeful, steadfast symbol,
peaceful that survives turbulence, like the place of origin from which one departs and to which one always wants to return. Finally, the metal frame and pedestal enhance the idea of suspension, a metaphor for the human condition poised between the desire for certainty and actual transience.