Arsenius surrealist rap
Arsenius is the rap stage name of Arianna Galli and the representation of her subconscious
Why ARSENIUS?
Arsenius is the surrealist rapper alter ego of poet and writer Arianna Galli, an embodiment of her subconscious and a voice that challenges societal norms and personal boundaries. The name Arsenius has ancient Greek roots—ἄρσην (ἄρρην)—meaning “brave, strong,” and serves as a mask for Arianna to explore and express the most hidden, intense aspects of herself. As Nietzsche wrote in Beyond Good And Evil, "Every profound spirit needs a mask”: Arsenius is that mask for Arianna, a powerful persona that allows her to confront pain, delve into the depths of her subconscious, and express truths that would otherwise remain hidden.
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The name Arsenius also carries rich literary significance, as it was used by Italian poet Eugenio Montale as a pseudonym to sign letters to his muse, Clizia, and later to represent his tormented, dreamlike self in the poem “Arsenio.” In this work, Montale's “Arsenio” is a complex character, a soul caught in liminality, torn between reality and an ethereal realm, much like Arianna’s own Arsenius—a figure existing in a surreal dimension, both within and beyond her own consciousness.
The doppelgänger conflict
There is a fight between Arianna and ARSENIUS, as there was a fight between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, between Marshall and Slim Shady.
Yet ARSENIUS is different: he is not completely negative, he is not completely cruel. It is certainly Arianna's evil but it is not Evil. Indeed it is a desire for revenge on Evil, Arsenius wants to avenge those who hurt Arianna by trying to kill her, but not only that, he is hostile to a hypocritical society that forgets the least, of a State that forgets the suburbs, of a sexist society, homophobic, of respectable people full of sins who try to suffocate the artists who want to bear witness to the evil of society. ARSENIUS is therefore a ruthless anti-hero who has a metaphorically murderous desire towards violent people, but his only weapons are words, sharp, stronger than a gunshot.
ARSENIUS is necessary for Arianna to continue living. ARSENIUS is in fact Arianna's feeling of death and pain, from which Arianna washes herself through art in a cathartic process to continue her life full of joy and sweetness. ARSENIUS lives in his art and it is necessary because even though it hurts, it is his voice.
