JUSTIN AVERSANO | GALLERY

On the occasion of Gallery Weekend Berlin 2023, EXPANDED.ART is pleased to present the first solo exhibition in Europe of Justin Aversano, the leading artist innovatively merging photography and NFTs. RAUCH UND SPIEGEL consists of 78 silkscreen prints on papyrus, an extremely precious writing ground in ancient Egypt, which is a reference to the time when tarot was created. The number 78 derives from the number of playing cards in a tarot deck, a spiritual guide, means of self-reflection, and tool of divination. The American artist based in Los Angeles confronts the fear of death and celebrates the joy of life by portraying the heroes and healers surrounding him.

For his project SMOKE AND MIRRORS, Aversano created a tarot deck consisting of portraits of people in and of his life: among others, family members such as his dad and sister, artists such as Fewocious and Kris Graves, musicians such as Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot, and Web3 builders such as GMoney and the twins Winkelvoss and Cock Foster.

At the center of the exhibition and of the SMOKE AND MIRRORS project is the Death card, one of the trump cards of the Tarot. Aversano photographed his father next to the grave of his mother, who died of cancer while he was studying art. His mother's name is on the tombstone, and the space for his father's name is free. The card symbolizes a change, a farewell, or an end—becoming and passing away. For Aversano, the death of his mother was the turning point in his life. Since then, his camera and his art have been the catalyst for meeting people and confronting fears.

"Who in your life is the core of your trauma and your healing? It's your family. Once you understand that, you understand yourself, and you understand how to heal everyone around you. Not just yourself. It's a family unit that's healing together," says Aversano.

BIO

Justin Aversano lives and works in Los Angeles. From 2010 to 2014, he studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

Aversano connects his art with the world around him by capturing moments, faces, and communities that surround him, bringing them together through the lens of his camera. He has become the most successful photographer to cross over from analogue to the NFT realm. In October 2021, Aversano’s TWIN FLAMES #83 was the first non-fungible token (NFT) to be offered in a photographs auction at Christie’s—it realized 1.1 million USD.