Norman Mine

Norman Mine, an Italian-London-based artist, focuses on performance art and its psychological impact on everyday life, using it to inhabit and explore personal experiences and

how we construct a persona.

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Originally born as Francesco Benenato in Naples, the theatrical heart of Southern Europe, Mine works through two fictional personas: Norman Mine, the visual artist, and Dino Desica, an ambitious actor. Through these alter egos, his practice spans acting, filmmaking, poetry, curatorial projects, and social engagements.

Inspired by early 20th-century Italian Neorealism, known for

its authentic depictions of working-class struggles, Mine incorporates biographical elements into works set in everyday environments.

 

These pieces delve into the pursuit of the "real" while embracing imagination, dreams, and poetry. Central to his practice are human relationships and the complexities of inhabiting spaces

of trauma, ambition, and hope while grappling with loneliness, love, and acceptance. His art critiques societal hierarchies and sparks social interaction.

Norman Mine serves as a platform for collaboration and interactive events. At the same time, Dino Desica embodies the ego and self-obsession, making Mine's work a bridge between individuality and connecting with something greater.

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Mine explores the balance of living within contradictions through these personas, asking, "How can we embrace external diversity if we don't first embrace it within ourselves?"

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photo Simona Aru 

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