My artistic research takes shape in the sign of origins, exploring the primordial dimension of the creative act through the language of Neo-Cave art. I conceive art as an archaic and spiritual act, an ancestral medium that connects contemporary humanity to the collective memory of mankind. My work is inspired by the cave paintings of prehistoric times, reinterpreting their symbols and structures using modern tools and techniques, in a continuous dialogue between past and present.
Through the use of natural pigments, organic materials, and evocative signs, I aim to recover the original value of art as a universal form of visual communication, unmediated by cultural superstructures. The Manifesto of Neo-Cave Art, which I authored and presented at the Venice Biennale, synthesizes this vision, placing at its core the need to return to expressive roots and to the authentic simplicity of the creative act.
My journey unfolds through memory, symbol, and identity, in a constant reflection on the evolution of the human being and on the role of art as both witness and interpreter of its time.
Andrea Benetti created a series of works using, in part, the same pigments that a prehistoric man used about 40,000 years ago to paint five stones, now archaeological museum artefacts, found in the Fumane cave during excavations conducted by the University of Ferrara. On that occasion, a considerable quantity of natural pigments (ochre, charcoal and earth) was also recovered, part of which, with regular certification, was granted to Benetti as part of a project developed in collaboration with the University of Ferrara for the archaeological aspect and the Department of Arts of the University of Bologna for artistic supervision. Thanks to this collaboration, the artist has brought to life on canvas the colours used by a “colleague” from 40,000 years ago.
