MATIERICA

Matierica is a documentary film directed by Germano Celant and Gianni Di Capua, released in 2011 to celebrate the life and theoretical contributions of Italian artist Alberto Burri. The project serves as a cinematic examination of Burri’s radical approach to materiality, focusing specifically on his development of the Grande Cretto in Gibellina, a massive land art installation created in the aftermath of the 1968 Belice earthquake. The film uses the artist’s own words and archival footage to trace how he transformed industrial and organic materials—sacks, plastics, and pumice—into emotive, sculptural surfaces.

The production sought to provide an intimate look at the relationship between the artist’s process and the landscape, moving beyond a standard biographical format to emphasize the tactile quality of Burri’s work. The filmmakers aimed to capture the monumental scale of his environmental interventions, positioning him as a seminal figure in the transition from post-war abstract expressionism to the Arte Povera movement. Upon its release, the documentary was recognized for its scholarly depth and its respectful portrayal of the complex dialogue between art, tragedy, and reconstruction in the Italian context.