Adaptability: A Reflection on the Frontier

MAXERA

February 26 – April 12, 2025

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

As a visual artist and migrant, I have experienced the process of adapting to new contexts, cultures, and realities. The frontier, a place of border and encounter, has become my home. In this space, adaptability is not only a necessity, but an art. The masks I create with natural materials represent the ability to transform, to change, and to adapt. They are a symbol of the resilience and versatility that characterize the life of a migrant.

In Adaptability, I exhibit my works as a visual diary of my frontier experience. Each mask tells a story of adaptation, of overcoming obstacles, and of rebirth. My art is a tribute to the ability to adapt, to survive, and to thrive in a world of constant change. It is an invitation to reflect on migration as an opportunity for growth, cultural exchange, and enrichment.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Gianluca Nuzzo Bellezza (MAXERA) was born in Santa María a Vico, a small town near Napoli, (Italy) in 1991. 

He grew up near a valley, but his deep love was always the sea. From a very young age he has been fascinated by masks and how they are presented to the world through the eyes of others and experiences of different cultures. His interest was cultivated during his adolescence and developed thanks to the inspiring presence of his brother Enzo Nuzzo (plastic artist, restaurateur, set designer). 

His career has always been self-taught and intimate. His works have generally been autobiographical and based on his particular way of perceiving the world and emotions. The drastic change in his life and career has been his arrival in Mexico, where his work merges with nature. On his walks he collects flora (seeds, leaves, flowers, plants) that have already left their vital function and incorporates them into his pieces, creating a collaboration between the masks and the ground. He feels that the exchange between the land and the artist opens doors to new ways of thinking.

In Mexico he created his Maxera project and adopted the name MAXERA for his artistic endeavors. Maxera is “the possibility of being everyone; of not living a single mask or identity, but rather living many other people’s lives and being able to choose among them.”  

Over the years, MAXERA has not only sought to ensure that the pieces have d an aesthetic and decorative result but also to see that they come to life. MAXERA collaborates with different design studios, architects, photographers, theater companies, dance conservatories, projects, videographers, plastic artists, painters, writers, and creators of courses, short films, parades, and performances. 

Currently, MAXERA is co-creator of a course called Mascherologia, a project based on the psycho-anthropology of the mask that allows students to explore their emotions through its technique.