PRETESEILLE / BARGELLINI

At the festival

Master of dark humor, progeny of Dada and Surrealism, Benoît Preteseille is one of the most original authors of contemporary comics, in addition he is a risk-taking and experimental editor.

In July 2015 Preteseille worked in residence at the Museo Davia Bargellini in Bologna, creating his work in union with the museum’s eclectic collection.  BilBOlbul then, follows the author in his exploration of Bologna’s less known museum, proposing, as in years past, a site-specific exhibition, that is doubly interesting— presenting a new international author to an Italian audience and inviting visitors to see Bologna in a new light.

The author revisits the tradition of feuilleton through a provocative eye and an irony that, child of postmodernism, is not always assuring.  The most evident pieces appear as near mockery of cruel, grotesque magazines and bizzare poetry.  Sade and Welles, Fantomas and Cocteau all unite in this seeminly light style, that never falls into a complete vintage but still includes some imagery of 20th century Europe.  Quick but controlled lines, where legibity masks the challenges of these pieces.