Artslink Italy - Issue 1 - July 2013

Charnwood

RTSLIN Italy

K 1

Contents Mirca Lucato 4 HangarBicocca 14 Pietro Tartamella 24 Spazio Ginko 32 Marco Dal Maso 40 Andrea Boyer 50

Front Cover: Mirca Lucato Above Photo : Exhibition - The Visitors Š Ragnar Kjartansson Sammlung Migros Fur Gegenwartskunst Museum, Photo (installation) by Stefan Altenburger

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My art is not a ‘social art’, it’s more intimate [...] I like human fragility in relation to that path which travels towards the end of life.

Mirca Lucato

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Photo by Leonardo Franceschi

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Mirca Lucato is an Italian painter, born

Zavatteri Hall in the Palladio’s basilica

in Vicenza, a town near Venice, in

in Vicenza.

1960. Her life is completely dedicated

Lately her exhibitions were held

to her art. In her abstract paintings,

mainly abroad for a project about

squares of colours (mainly black,

itinerant culture between the Dutch

grey, brown, red) with charcoal marks

galleries, SBK of Gouda, Contrast

overlap to create a formal cage, a

of Tilburg and the Kunstuitleen of

series of windows on her personal

Alkmaar and also at the Galerie

world.

Artoptions and the Dream of

She is a mother, a wife, and a professor

Amerongen and of Wijk bij Duuestede

but she is always an artist in whatever

(NL). The last exhibition was held in

she does. She graduated at the

Strasbourg in the Galerie Sud of the

Academy of Fine Arts of Venice with

European Parliament.

honours in 1983. She was admitted to

In your opinion, both personal and

the École Nationale Supérieure des

artistic, what do you think is the

Beaux Arts of Paris. In 1987, at the age

function of art in our complex and

of 27, she taught artistic anatomy at

confused society?

the Academy of Fine Arts of Venice

“Art can be seen in many different

and since then she has been a

ways, a complaint, an aggregation

teacher of disciplines of painting in

of many things or a fight, a tradition

the artistic school of her town.

or something diverse. It can also be

She has exhibited solo at the

an entertainment, a scandal, an

Bevilacqua la Masa Foundation in

amazement or even an afterthought

Venice, in Villa Contarini dei Leoni in

about who we are.

Mira near Venice, at the Expo Art of

However we look at it, art is very

Bari. She has participated in numerous

close to our society. Art is a translator

group exhibitions: for instance at

and an aggregate of our identity,

the Biennale of Arzignano, at the

it can be very fragmented and

variegated. The function of art is

I like human fragility in relation to that

both all and nothing, like it always

path which travels towards the end of

has been. In support of this there

life.

are many remaining international

What do you think about arts

exhibitions like the Biennale of Venice

organizations and spaces for

and Documenta in Kassel, Germany

young artists? Do you believe that

and many other opportunities like

in Italy it is difficult to find a place

this all around the world. I am not

in the arts world?

a sociologist, therefore my line of

Where there are lots of offerings

approach to this issue remains very

there are also lots of difficulties for the

personal. My art is not a ‘social art’,

artists. In Italy it is very difficult and it

it’s more intimate. I potter around the

is even worse for the abstract arts as

mistakes that mankind performs in life.

in my case. Our culture and tradition

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take us to consider art as everything

and mustn’t be the only motivation.

that is visual, and to forget the other

The main motivation can arrive only

arts (sculpture for example) but that

if we listen to our needs. Searching to

are also practiced in the academies

give voice to one’s own feelings.

of fine arts all around Italy.

This year’s Golden Lion of the

How was it for you? Were you

Biennale of Venice was awarded

encouraged to follow the path in

to an English IBM technician. Thus

art or not?

meaning that not everyone chooses

I’ve always thought that the

a path oriented towards art, but

encouragement of the artistic

(that) even the artist Tino Sehgal was

practice (music, poetry or painting)

encouraged by his boss to undertake

comes from noble souls. Therefore

an artistic path, having noticed his

family could be important, but can’t

propensity.

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My father wanted me to have a more

One of your most important

classic and less artistic culture but I

exhibitions was held in Strasbourg

didn’t budge from my decision.

in the European parliament,

Is there any event or aspect of

correct? Do you want to tell us

your life that you wish to share with

your experience?

us which changed your way of

This exhibition (2006) made me

creating art or your way of looking

understand how much the Italian MPs

at it?

prefer the arts of the fifteenth century,

The beginning is always centred on

and how much they forget that there

figurative studies, drawing from life is

was a continuation in Italy with the

the pretext to subsequently arrive to

futurists and in the 1950’s when the

a drawing that has been divided on

Italians lived a second Renaissance.

various levels; expressionist, abstract,

This demonstrates that contemporary

surrealist or conceptual.

art is not in their blood and it is not

I don’t think that someone could

promoted and encouraged in Italy.

change one’s way of working

Perhaps it’s a generational thing.

because of something that

The truth is that the most important

happened in his or her life. Perhaps

exhibition that I’ve ever done was

if one happens to work together

long ago, in 1987 at the Bevilacqua

with other artists there could be the

La Masa Foundation in Venice, one

possibility to improve ourselves.

of the most important institutions for

You make treasure of what you

the help and development of the

learn in life and also by studying

art of young artists. I won first prize

once more classical art. I learn a lot

in that exhibition and after that the

from my students. My painting was

municipality of Venice bought my

reinforced and confirmed in time and

work and preserved it at the Ca’

also by experimenting with kindred

Pesaro Museum.

languages.

All photos and artworks by Mirca Lucato

To see more of her work please visit www.lucatomirca.it

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In Italy there are many redundant factories.

Fortunately, they are not a complete waste of space: they are being re-used as galleries and art centres. You can enjoy visiting an art centre which was a former factory or, who knows, a former jail! Here’s an example of a factory converted into an interesting art centre.

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HangarBicocca

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angarBicocca is an important

player in some of the most important

Contemporary Art Centre

moments in Italy’s social, cultural and

situated in the north-eastern suburbs

economic development.

of Milan on the Milan-SestAo San

Many important graphic designers,

Giovanni-Monza corridor.

designers, photographers and

The company Pirelli, which was

contemporary artists were

founded in 1874, was the most

involved in designing products and

important founding member

communication campaigns. Pirelli is

in collaboration with Regione

now the owner of the activity. The

Lombardia (regional administration

Foundation is currently chaired by

of Lombardy). It has been a key

Tronchetti Provera.

Photo by Agostino Osio, Courtesy Fondazione HangarBicocca

One of the prime objectives of HangarBicocca is to be a major cultural resource for Milan.

The renovation of HangarBicocca was finished in 2012. They preserved the industrial achictecture and offer new services and activities for the general public, schools, families, laboratories, film screenings, summer campus and night events.

All activities at HangarBicocca are free of charge. There are different laboratories:

HB Kids: offers films, activities, toys, materials and a library for children.

The laboratory also provides art tutors. This project is for the youngest The Centre, a conversion of a

visitors, contemporary art is made

former industrial plant, was set up in

accessible to them through exploring

2004. It belonged to Ansaldo-Brera.

emotions, sensations and feelings.

The Centre expresses the value of

Every weekend HangarBicocca

innovation, internationality and

offers Creativity Trails and a Discovery

territory and the coexistence of

Cinema programme. Movies,

different themes. The conversion of

vintage cartoons, amateur films and

these industrial areas, involved an

international productions that have

area of 960,000 m²; the largest urban-

never or rarely been screened in

redevelopment scheme in Italy, and

Italy, offer an original insight through

second only to Berlin.

moving images.

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HB Public: has a programme of film

The exhibition space constists of three

festivals, guided tours, meeting with

main areas:

the curator and artists and also a

The ‘Shed’, a low building dating from

cycle ride to explore the district. The

the 20s; was used for manufacturing

aim of this laboratory is about getting

locomotives and farm machines. You

a wider public close to the forms and

can distinguish it from the outside by

languages of contemporary art.

its distinctive bare bricks, typical of

HB School: here there are

industrial architecure.

educational activities for schools.

The ‘Navate’ (Aisles), the central

HB Lab: is a multipurpose area

body; built between 1963 and 1965,

where there’s free access to books

this metal industrial building was the

and other materials related to

former transformer department of

contemporary art, there are also

Breda Meccanica. A permanent

spaces for workshops, conferences

installation called ‘Seven Heavenly

and video shows.

Palaces’ is found here.

A bistro called Dopolavoro

And lastly, the ‘Cubo’.

(Afterwork); the name derived by the traditional worker’s club, to

HangarBicocca has two main

recall the history of the district, is also

permanent installations:

situated here. Menus are inspired

The first one is ‘Seven Heavenly

by local tradition and there’s a use

Palaces’, created by Anselm Kiefer,

of environmentally sustainable raw

a German artist; it was created for

materials.

the initial opening in 2004. The name is taken by the palaces described

HangarBicocca is a place of huge

in an ancient cabbalistic Hebrew

appeal for contemporary artists; its

tract, dated around the fourth\

premises covers about 15,000 sqm

fifth century AD. The installation is

(160,000 sq ft).

composed of seven towers, that

19 Photo by Agostino Osio, Courtesy Fondazione HangarBicocca

weigh 90 tons each, which vary in

work consists of three levels of depth,

height from 14 to 18 metres. They are

with an interesting alternation of solids

made in reinforced concrete and the

and voids. It welcomes the visitors

artist used corner units from transport

as a symbolic threshold, a transition

containers as modular construction

from the ancient cultural heritage

elements. Each tower is distinguished

to modern contemporary art. Here

by various elements and materials,

the artist shows an anti-celebratory,

like neon scripts, piles of leaden

anti-monumental form of sculpture,

books, ships, motion picture films and

abstract but at the same time poetic.

simple empty frames.

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The second one is ‘The Sequence’,

There are many exhibitions already

made by Fausto Melotti (an Italian

planned for up until 2015. The new

artist, writer and theoretician) in 1981

artistic advisor who has planned

for Forte del Belvedere in Florence

these exhibitions is Vincente Todoli,

and set up in the garden in front of

who has been a director of Tate

HangarBicocca in 2010. It stands 7

Modern of London from 2003 to

metres tall and 10 metres wide. The

2010. He signed for the planning of

(left page) Ragnar Kjartansson, The Visitors, Sammlung Migros Museum fur Gegenwartskunst, Photo (installation) by Stefan Altenburger Photography, © the artist

exhibitions until 2015. The curator who

from September - December 2013.

is working alongside Todoli is Andrea Lissoni, an art historian and professor

Joan Jonas (New York): she’s one of the

who worked on many exhibitions with

most important authorities of video and

Italian and international artists.The

theoretic perfomance. She became

programme is charaterized by focus

estabilished in the 60s/70s and is now

on research and experimentation

Professor of Visual Art at MIT of Boston.

and on exhibitions which are immersed in the archictecture of the Centre.

The exhibition will alternate wellknown international artists and young artists, either Italian or foreign. Some of the artists involved are:

Ragnar Kjartasson (Reijkjavic) with ‘The Visitors’; he attended numerous exhibitions and festivals, like Manifesta in 2008, the Triennale of Turin in 2009 and the Biennale of Venice in 2009 (he was the youngest artist who exhibited at the Islandic pavilion!). His exhibition is an installation composed of 9 screenings where you can find the relation between live concerts, tradition of performance, poetry and cinema through an immersive experience. His installation is showing Damian Ortega, Movimiento en Falso, Courtesy of the artist and kurimanzutto, Mexico City

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Here, she’s presenting her most significant works, alternating video and historic performance renovated for the space of HangarBicocca. She will exhibit from June to September in 2014.

Damiàn Ortega (Mexico City): he’s one of the most ironic and interesting contemporary artists of our days.

He exhibited at The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston in 2009 and at the Centre George Pompidou in Paris in 2008, just to name a few.

He’s got a background as a political cartoonist and his work is about politics, aesthetic and cultural conditions; for example, he showed how the regional culture can condition consumption of mass necessities. He often subverts the role and functions of objects revealing their implicit and symbolic meaning.

His exhibitions will include sculptures, performances and films and he will exhibit from January to April in 2015.

For further information visit

www.hangarbicocca.org

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Photo by Agostino Osio, Courtesy of Fondazione HangarBicocca

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Pietro Tartamella 24

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Reading is as beautiful as writing, travelling and making love.

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This is a story of a man, whose talent is writing. He doesn’t just

P

ietro Tartamella was born in Camporeale Palermo on the

write of trivial tales, he writes about

18th April in 1948. He moved to

people, their stories, about society,

Ventimiglia on the French border, with

about life. He’s always been

his family, when he was four.

a nonconformist, an insurgent

His family was composed of three

against injustice. Sometimes he

males and two females. He had to go

likes to live as a hermit, in order to

to a boarding school with his brothers

achieve the concentration and the

because of the family’s precarious

inspiration for his latest book. He

economic conditions.

has travelled, a lot. He has gained

He lived in an environment where

much experience from many

rival gangs were the order of the day,

different jobs. This is the story of

so when he was 13 he became the

the life of this poet and writer. His

boss of a gang of young teenagers

name is Pietro Tartamella.

and they warred with other groups.

He attended the oratory and there he met Natalia and Franco Vernò, two volunteers who wanted to help with the issue of youth gangs. He began helping them, working as an assistant in the mountain colonies and supporting Monsignor Boero’s rehabilitation programme.

After coming of age, he started hitch hiking around Europe. In this journey, he met Bruno Veri, who has to become Pietro’s close friend 26

and collaborator through the years.

and many of them were interested in

Afterwards, he went to the Ligurian

poetry, but they were always too busy

mountains to help with the restoration

because they had to study for exams.

of the ancient church of Triora.

Indeed of these answers, I felt a sort of

He graduated at the Technical

sadness and dejection.

Institute for Surveyors “G.Ruffini” in

I though it was non-sense that a young

1968. In the years of his attendance

person, passionate in poetry, couldn’t

at this school, he became friend of a

live experience about that because

blind professor, who was instrumental

of the tension of preparing an exam.

in developing his interest in Law.

At that moment, school was more

He moved to Turin in 1970, at the

important than a direct experience.

age of 22. Because of his economic

My conclusion was that University was

circumstances he had take on many

a restraint to the practices of poetry!

different jobs such as a waiter, laborer

I felt a rejection and sadness as strong

and statistician to name a few!

as all the sacrifices I was doing to

Due to his lack of finances and also

get the degree, living without money

because of problems caused through

and books, became, in my new way

the student revolt of the 1968, he had

of thinking, non-sense. So, I decided

to leave the Faculty of Engineering of

that it wasn’t worth anymore to get

Turin University after just one year.

the degree at that price, which all the

He then attended the Faculty of

other students were paying.”

Philosophy and Letters, on the degree

At the beginning of the 1970s, Pietro

course, ‘Foreign Languages and

founded “The Tepee” (La Tenda), a

Literatures’. But yet again, through his

monthly magazine about poetry and

nonconformist streak, he decided

literature. He produced this regularly

leave the degree four exams before

for four years. The themes of the

the end.

magazine were so strong and original

“I talked with hundreds of students

that it was also distributed in America!

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This period was, for Tartamella, really

stool were he left a stack of his own

stimulating and he made contact

works that were about many themes,

with many writers and poets. It was

including politics.

a time for him to express his youthful

His first publication outside the shop

nature and creativity.

was titled “The Fart”, a metaphor

In February 1974 he married

about what people usually want to

Anna Maria Verrastro, a primary

hide, from others and themselves. It

school teacher, and they had two

was a very strong message, indeed

daughters, Naji and Ajdi. Their

it was the topic of discussions for

economic situation improved thanks

weeks. It also led to some threats to

to obtaining a job as a scriptwriter

Tartamella.

and screenwriter at the publishing

This work brought him satisfaction,

house Universo.

but at the same time he worked for

In 1983, Pietro bought a newsagent

16 hours a day! Eventually he had a

shop in Via Vanchiglia. It was

nervous breakdown.

hard at first but after some time it

He got involved in the trade union of

became successful and the shop

newsagents and became President

became a point of reference for

of the Association of Economic

the presentation of artist’s works. At

Operators of Via Vanchiglia. One of

the front of the shop he placed a

his successes was being accepted for

how he looked. He had long hair, long

of spiritual retreat, where he took

beard and an earring. He refused to

inspiration for the writing of his books.

change as a person and at the end

Even as I am writing my questions

they all supported him.

to him, he’s about 30 km from

Despite of all these commitments, he

home, in a recreational vehicle. Last

managed to attend a theatre school

September he went to Belgium, living

and then trained in a mime school. In

as a hermit on a boat.

1988 he graduated at the School of

Pietro’s biggest passion is reading.

Journalism and Public Relations.

He spends as long as he can with

In 1991, for economic reasons, he

books, dealing with different themes

had to move to the country. There

like poetry, maths, foreign languages,

he bought a house called Cascina

philosophy. This passion was

Macondo (whose name was taken

hampered as a child by the works

from the book “One Hundred Years of

he had to do to help the family. He

Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez).

has also has a strong interest in native

The house became a landmark for his

American culture.

friends and for evenings of poetry.

Since childhood, Pietro showed a

In 1993 he founded, with the help of

sense of injustice against bullying and

his wife and other people, the cultural

oppression, he even demonstrated it

association Cascina Macondo, which

physically when he was a child.

was involved in street arts, pottery,

During the military service

music, poetry, creative writing, diction

(compulsory in Tartamella’s times)

and theatre. This association is still

he showed all his aversion for the

running and it also now works with

authorities. He always tried to

young people and with those with

throw a spanner in the work of his

disabilities.

captains, colonels and majors with his

During his life, Pietro made many

complaints and initiatives.

individual journeys, like some sort

There is an interesting fact that

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helped Pietro understand how the

even as the night passed over this

world of work actually is. When he

tree.

was young, he went to Norwich in

He was always involved with revolts.

England, a summer job in a strawberry

But they didn’t stop as political

field, harvesting. Initially, this work was

revolts. In March 1987 Marco Fiora,

presented as an occasion to learn

a child who lived in the same town

English and to improve himself, in a

as Pietro, was kidnapped. In trying to

place where there was also leisure

convince the kidnappers to let the

and enjoyment. But, after few days,

child free, he made a strike, in this

the guys noticed that the actuality

instance he denied himself his sight

was somewhat different than it was

for 40 days. He wrote a letter to the

presented. They were underpaid

kidnappers in which he highlighted

and the condition of their life wasn’t

the suffering of Marco’s relatives and

really good, it verged on exploitation.

friends. He also wrote to them that he

Pietro was the head of the revolt, the

could understand the difficulties of

guys stopped working. The police

living in that society at that time, the

were called and the guys tried to

burden of taxes and economic life

contact the Italian Embassy located

but also stressed to them that this was

in London. But the embassy wasn’t

not the way to deal with the situation.

really interested in these facts. Pietro

The news of the revolt had a national

came home with the sadness for

importance (he even appeared on

a world that doesn’t care for the

TV because of it). After some time the

younger generation.

child was set free.

Another somewhat strange revolt

The magazine, The Tepee went out

occurred in 1973, when Pietro

for 4 years. After all this time, would

climbed a tree in the centre of Turin,

you like to re-write it or do you

in front of the station Porta Nuova.

want to write a new magazine?

There he started writing a long poem,

“Honestly no, it’s passed a long time.

Now there are new ways to confront ourselves.”

From what have you taken inspiration of founding the association “Cascina Macondo”?

How many people have joined this project since the foundation?

“Macondo is from the book of Garcia Marquez “One Hundred Years of Solitude” which I read in the 70s and changed me. Macondo was an isolated village made of boards and clay.

A number of people passed through the association, my wife and I are here from the beginnings. A group of fifteen people take part in various activities. Then, there are about six hundred people who follow us and our initiatives.”

In life you have dealt with different All photos by Kevin Ryan

situations and issues, doing lots of different jobs to make

children, teens, adults, the disabled

some money. Your passions are

and detained), I am a speaker. The

countless. What are you currently

subjects I teach are: Italian Diction,

involved in?

Creativity Writing, Speaking (reading

“I always deal with writing and

out loud).”

poetry, my main job is teaching (to

www.cascinamacondo.com 31

Spazio Ginko

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Manlio Paglione

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In this silly and sick society we should be swamped by art. Unfortunately we are not. That little bit of creativity that runs society has no substance and this is because there isn’t any good education about art and the beautiful...but above all there is a disinterest in terms of how art is treated. The first complaint about art should be against the finance of art that is creating lies and dreams of glory made of ​​ plastic.

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Spazio Ginko is not an art gallery,

architectural firms. After his first artistic

it is an exhibition space, a creative

experimentations and some art

centre where emerging artists

exhibitions in Italy, he created Spazio

can exhibit to art critics and

Ginko.

galleries, where they can organize

Spazio Ginko was born for all those

contemporary art or photography

emerging artists that, like so many

exhibitions.

galleries say, produce works that

E

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verything was born from an idea

‘haven’t any market’ or rather do

of Manlio Paglione, an Italian

not fall within their target customer

artist, who can’t define himself as an

brackets. There is a lot of art that is

artist because of the respect that he

not taken into consideration because

has for arts.

they simply don’t know how manage

Manlio attended classic studies at

it. Manlio thinks that the arts live

the high school then he began the

passively in our society: “Today there

study in computer Engineering at

is more desire to look, to discover

the university La Sapienza in Rome

and to research art, in Italy people

because he was fascinated by

visit more exhibitions, cinemas and

technology and the Web. He felt

theatres but everything stops at

the need to express himself with

classicism, figurative and ancient

colours and forms, but without

art. Then the real Italian problem

losing sight of the Web, he began

is that there isn’t any research in

graphics studies, 3D modelling,

contemporary art, and above all

drawing and photography at the

there aren’t any experiments about

faculty of architecture in the same

art: in Italy we are stuck in Classicism,

university. He graduated with

Roman History and in Renaissance.

honours, he then started to deal with

But we can’t think that art is only that,

communication and art, following a

we can’t stop there.

career with advertising agencies and

Contemporary art has been

compromised by the art market, it is

predicted the collapse of his quotes.

impossible to sell art without thinking

Another big problem is the rampant

about it, it is like selling nothing and

distrust, above all in young people.

saying that it’s gold. The speculation

They are are not carrying a strong

has invaded and damaged much of

independent movement or underground,

our life, it has hit art almost fatally.

it seems almost that there is an

For example, the case of Damien

anaesthetic in the air, there isn’t any

Hirst, the most successful bluff in the

artistic rebellion and this means that

world. Do you remember the case

there is no reading of the present and of

of Julian Spalding? This critic was

our own social and emotional condition.”

rejected at the entrance of the

Manlio decided to create Spazio Ginko

Tate Modern of London because he

as much for what happened to him. He

said that Hirst was not an artist and

defines his work as ‘digital expressionist

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photography’. His works are printed on

photographs, worked on a computer

Plexiglas or aluminium, manipulations that

and printed on Plexiglas.

he does with a computer and software,

The answers were all the same, five or

everything is virtual, He doesn’t use any

six galleries in Rome asked me to meet

matrix and it’s here that the problem

to look at my work but they also said

lies for many galleries. “With digital we

that they were sceptical about their

have the same problem that we had

saleability.

with photography, It is not art because

At least a dozen galleries approached

you can have a series of copies in a

me to participate in group exhibitions

short time. But everything that the work

but the price was too high and the conditions ridiculous: no advertisements, no catalogues, there wasn’t even a press office or web site.

I don’t think that the great, famous galleries even opened my e-mails.

What do you think about the panorama of Italian Arts? Is it difficult to work there?

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expresses, where does it go? Is it possible

“The art world has taken a wrong turn,

that this hasn’t any value?”

the art market has more importance

Spazio Ginko was born as answer of the

than art, this is for me very frustrating. For

gallery system that he met in Italy. “ I sent

how things are today, you want a space

my photos to a hundred galleries all over

in the art world, in Italy or not... there is, if

the Italy, lots of those answered me and

you can have money to invest. Art is now

asked me what technique I had used

a business to all effects. The artists have

(oil, acrylic, tempera paints). I told them

to spend money to do exhibitions, and

that they were digital works born from

the more money you have, the more

marketing you do, the more fame you

differences: online communication,

have, the more price increases.”

photo shooting during the opening of

For how things are today, you want a

the exhibition, video footage for the

space in the art world, in Italy or not...

vernissage with editing. Then we have

there is, if you can have money to

some students that are attending the

invest. Art is now a business to all effects.

master in history of art and they help us

The artists have to spend money to do

with the press releases and the critics.

exhibitions, and the more money you

The real difference between us and the

have, the more marketing you do, the

galleries is in the concept. Spazio Ginko

more fame you have, the more price

was born to promote the artist and his

increases.”

works, there isn’t any interest

What are the main differences

to have a specific kind of art and we

between Spagio Ginko and other

don’t have a specific market. Spazio

art galleries?

Ginko is first of all a exhibition space for

First of all there are some technical

experiments in art.

37

What I’m doing with Spazio Ginko is to

Today the artist must pay only for the

bring together art to those who can

vernissage and the advertisement, this art

appreciate, love and then buy. We are

space subsidizes autonomy. The idea is to

not interested in fake fans, more or less

provide a free exhibition with sponsors or

rich, who buy art on commission without

patrons.

even looking at it. You cannot possess a

What is your main criticism of art

work of art by swapping it only for money.

galleries?

How many artists exhibit in a year

The right terms to describe what I think

at Spazio Ginko? How does the

about them is...cowardice, and then

space work?

egoism. Cowardice because they

First of all we propose only personal

haven’t the bravery to dare, they have

exhibitions, one artist for two weeks. We

fear and only wait for the success of an

take 20 - 25 artists every year.

artist. They prefer an easy game. Egoism

In ninety percent of cases, artists find

because the gallery is first of all and

Spazio Ginko and this is due to the web

before art.

and the work that we’ve done online.

38

All photos by Spazio Ginko

39

Marco Dal Maso

40

‘

‘

it was love, tormented love, I’ve never lived it peacefully like pure passion, but I’ve always lived it with the stubbornness that photography must be my life ...

41

multimedia podcasts both artistic and commercial, using stopmotion.

Currently he is a freelance photographer.

What drew you to the art of photography? Has that always ben your path?

Photography was a discovery that arrived relatively late in my life. Before I was twenty-five, in addition to not knowing the world of photography, I had never even taken a photo. One day, one of my friends, showed me his pictures and from that moment I wanted to try and I borrowed a

M

42

arco Dal Maso was born

camera.

in Vicenza in 1977. After

I worked as a designer in a factory, for

collaborations with local newspapers

almost ten years, because of many

and some photographic studies

reasons my university career didn’t

he left on a long trip to South East

start and I wasn’t able to choose a

Asia where he photographed Tamil

path.

refugees in Sri Lanka and sex tourism

I mean, it was love, tormented love,

in Thailand.

I’ve never lived it peacefully like pure

From 2009 to 2010, he joined the

passion, but I’ve always lived it with

International Photojournalism Agency

the stubbornness that photography

Nazca Pictures.

must be my life, the kind of life that

In 2009 he worked in advertising and

I’ve always dreamed of but never

in 2010 he began to experiment with

had it.

In 2007 you left Italy to travel to

relaxed and it went well, except a

South East Asia where you made

few threats from some customers who

some reportage, what prompted

didn’t want to be photographed.

you to leave?

In Sri Lanka. I went to the embassy

I resigned and I took a gap year. In

to get some information on how to

ten years of work I’d been saving lots

reach the areas of Tamil refugees,with

of money and then I could afford to

an Italian friend who lives in

be away for some time and to try to

Bangkok. They forbid us to go there

be a photo reporter, I was looking for

because a week before someone

some stories to tell and at the same

shot a helicopter of ambassadors.

time I wanted to see and live in a

We thought about it but then we

zone that I hadn’t known yet.

decided to go there anyway. The

Do you want to tell us about some

little city of Batticaloa was controlled

of your experiences in Asia?

by the army , and it was the point

One of the first places that I visited

where rockets left in the direction of

was Pattaya where I wanted to

rebels. It was a safe place, more safe

document sex tourism. Those days

than the capital Colombo, where

were my firstin Asia and I didn’t know how to behave. When I left the coach I went around the city to look for a hotel or something similar, but I didn’t want to take photos, I was really afraid of stopping there, as there were lots of open bars with ten or fifteen naked girls, trying to keep you in the clubs and I decided to run away. Those first days I didn’t manage to take photos, then I 43

for example we avoided a terrorist

of euros, and many addiction issues,

attack at the airport.

prevention take a back seat.

How was the reportage about

The reportage about Neo-Fascism

gambling born?

in Italy really impressed me, the

Psycological issues, of every kind

pictures you have taken are really

have always attracted my curiosity.

strong. Would you like to talk about

I heard about gambling addiction

this in particular?

some years ago and I took insipiration

The pictures below were taken

from that. Then, I met two people

in a musical meeting of the Right

involved in this world, one in the world

Wing in the north-east of Italy. I

of game rooms (mostly poker) and

asked the permission to enter as a

one who was in a recovery centre.

photojournalist, but they denied my

From this, I had the idea to show

request. I tried with official ways,

people this issue.

through the agency I was working

Gambling is affecting young

with, but they still rejected it. I was

people more and more.What’s

already working on this report and

your main criticism about a society

I couldn’t lose this occasion. So, I

that behaves like this?

decided to go by myself, trying to

Gambling is a serious problem for an

blend in with them. I paid the entry

increasing number of people, both

and I was in the middle of billions of

young and the eldery. In my opinion,

skin-heads from all over Europe. I had

the main problem is the ease with

with me, my Leica m6 (an analogue

which you can play: online, in bars,

camera) and once I entered, I was

in tobacconists,... In other European

allowed to be there and without

countries, there is more supervision

giving too much attention, I could

and there are psychologists in casinos

take pictures. I was quite nervous, but

and in game rooms. In Italy it is above

at the end I managed to take some

all a business, which involves millions

interesting pictures with me!

45

46

Could you tell us about the

and so it was.

reportage ‘Neo-Fascism in Italy’?

I tried different approaches, through

How has the project developed?

friends or to find myself in situations

I’ve always had a particular curiosity

where I was not invited, I went to

about these mass extremists. When I

events and commemorations. This is

was a boy I had a ‘close’ encounter

the work as it stands to date.

with some ‘Nazi’ boys. It wasn’t

What’s the function you confer to

enjoyable, I used to have dreadlocks

your art? And what about art in

down to my shoulders.

general?

As soon as I started seriously to be

I don’t confer any specific functions

a photo reporter I thought that I

to my art. The aim is to show a less

wanted to do a feature about them

ordinary point of view.

In which project have you felt most

Actually, the beginning was quite

personally involved?

encouraging, in about 3-4 years I

It was The Gambler, for the difficulty of

passed from have never taken a

visualizing it and for the final result.

photo to be part of an international

But some months ago I started a

photojournalism agency. But it was

report about unemployed people,

just an illusion of success, it was just a

which had really interested me,

lucky opportunity. It wasn’t easy at all.

mainly the new way of taking photos

Have you got any projects for the

(more methodical rather than

future? Have you ever thought of

instinctive).

working or living abroad?

Have you found it difficult to

Since some years ago, I’ve thought

establish as a photographer? How

about moving, but here where I live

was it at the beginning?

I have a work flow which prevents

47

me from moving . So at the moment I travel just when I manage to do it, without moving my workplace. I’d like to try to live in some European capital cities, but also to change my situation completely.

Photos below for the series The Gambler.

All photos Šmarco dal maso

48

www.marcodalmaso.it

49

50

‘

‘

Everything in my photos must be clear, visible, even in the dark as in the light. In this way, it seems to me that everything is under control.

Andrea Boyer 51

“I’ve never thought of becoming an artist. My biggest passion was cars, driving and designing them. I was also interested in psychology.”

T

hese are the words with which Andrea presents himself to me.

Andrea Boyer was born in 1956 in

52

Milan. He attended the Artistic High

chemicals and films and I searched for

School and after that the Fine Arts

a job as an assistant in an important

Academy of Brera, attending the

photography studio in Milan. After

scenography course.

military service, I worked as freelancer

He worked as a professional

and then I had my own studio.

photographer from 1978 to 2000 in

Thanks to Giovanni Testori, I exhibited

his own studio in the commercial

at the Drawing Company in Milan

field, dealing with mode, publicity,

and then I continued exhibiting

publishing and industrial applications.

photographs, drawings and paintings.

Then he rediscovered drawing, he

Now, these disciplines still coexist side

started drawing with pencils, oil and

by side.

drypoint.

My family didn’t support me very

I asked him how he became

much, but this led me to understand

interested in art.

that this was the right way for me.”

“I was born with pencils. My brother

Andrea’s artworks are completly

and my father were really good at

original. The colours, the atmosphere,

drawing and it led me to become

are not easily describable. He works a

interested in art. At the beginning, I

lot with chiaroscuro and because of

was more fond of photography than

this his drawings, expecially, are really

drawing and painting. I started buying

touching.

About his photography: When he

principally use my instinct in searching

works digitally, he uses a Canon

for images. In the end I use just 10% of

5DMkII; when he works with analogue,

the shots. If I go out to take pictures

he uses Kodak negatives. He prints

without a plan, I phoptograph what

Gicleè fine art, with Hannemhule

stands out to my eyes. Everything in

cotton sheet paper.

my photos must be clear, visible, even

His postproduction with Photoshop is

in the dark as in the light. In this way, it

limited to the correction of geometry

seems to me that everything is under

and contrasts. Sometimes, he deletes

control.”

people and objects to leave the

About his drawings, he says that

photos clear. He doesn’t want to

initially he wanted to create

‘over-characterise’ the images.

something indeterminate and

“When I work outside the studio, I

fascinating, as a man who comes out

53

54

55

56

from the darkness like a ghost; he’s

can easily identify himself with the

fascinated by something that we trust

painting.”

that we’ll keep, yet it will always fade

For his artworks, he takes inspiration

away.

from Caravaggio for the chiaroscuro,

“I can feel the constant presence of

from Vermeer the care of details, from

the unconscious. I don’t know exactly

Bacon the forces of unpredictability

what emotions I want to convey with

and uncontrollability. He also has a

my artworks. It’s all about insinct. I

penchant for the beauty of reality.

want to create a contact with the

“I do not love Contemporary Art,

people who are watching. I delete

and I can’t stand an artist like

everything that could characterize

Damien Hirst; I prefer artists like Ai

the subjects, like eyes, watches,

Wei Wei, because he is brilliant,

accessories. In this way, the viewer

empathic, coherent and not so

overly conceptual. His works can

you with some money if you need

really move me and I think he’s really

it; a friend of mine, who is a ballet

involved with political and citizenship

dancer, has lived there for a long

issues. He’s completely integrated

time and she had to go to Dublin for

with real life, with society, with

an audition. She was able to get the

contemporary time.”

money she needed to stay there.

Andrea has also exhibited abroad, in

Also in Italy cultural heritage is

France including Paris, New York and

becoming less and less important for

London. In the near future he aims

people. Figurative art is not still really

to exhibit through a collaboration in

appreciated, but in the rest of Europe

Lugano (Switzerland).

or in America they love it.

Q: What for you are the most

For all these things, I’m looking

important differences between

forward to work in Lugano, because

exhibiting in Italy and abroad?

I really can’t stand Italian’s way of

A: “Sometimes, when I exhibit in Italy,

thinking; there, they are more serious

it happens that people ask me really

and respectful, so I think I could do

surface questions; abroad there is

my best.”

more preparedness, they are more pragmatic and there is more regard for artists.

In Italy, when people know that you are a professional artist, they are surprised, expecially if you are able to live by this job and they may also regard you more highly and give you compliments; but it all stops there. In Germany, for example, they don’t care very much, but they help

57

Q: In your opinion, what is the role of an artist these days?

A: “When I was young, I was active in a photography club in Milan, and everybody was fighting to be the most original. Now, the artist is limited by what sells and what people like: gallery owners and curators want to offer an exhibition which sells, artworks that collectors want.

The artist is, in most cases, a mass product: he is like an employee, with the same frustrations and need to feel accepted.

If you take a look at the photos on the web, they are all the same: nudes, landscapes, day and night views of cities, portraits, reportages, mode (fashion), publicity, interior decorations... They all have the same contrasts, the same saturations. It seems that you have to be part of the group. Like mode: people are dressed up in the same way but they pretend to look different; that’s because strangeness scares.

The proof is when I show some of my artworks which are a bit more 58

59

unconventional, the confusion of

to do my job, expecially here in Italy

the viewer grows. In fact, I sell more

because it’s becoming more and

photos than drawings, even if I think

more difficult. And also you have

I’m more original with my drawing.

to remember that, in the end, the

I don’t think I’m an artist and I don’t

person you have to deal with is not

think I wish to be one either. In our

the customers, it’s yourself.

times, everybody is an artist: butchers,

I would not be able to, and would not

chefs, football players, showgirls,

wish to, do anything different than

greengrocers... I just want to manage

what I’m doing now.”

For more of his artworks visit Andrea Boyer’s Facebook Page!

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All photos and artworks by Andrea Boyer

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Acknowledgements Contributing: Artists: Andrea Boyer Manlio Paglione Marco Dal Maso Mirca Lucato Writers:

Pietro Tartamella

Photographers: Agostino Osio Andrea Boyer Kevin Ryan Leonardo Franceschi Marco Dal Maso Stefan Altenburger Art Centres & Associations: Fondazione HangarBicocca SpazioGinko Cascina Macondo Producing Editors: Valentina Martini (17) Marta Pulin (18) Series Editor:

Kevin Ryan

Design Assistance: Jagdeep Ryatt Natalie Chabaud Project Assistance: James Chantry Terry Allen Rebecca Abrahams

First published in June 2013 Copyright: Charnwood Arts and Individual Authors All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, scanning, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Charnwood Arts.

62

Charnwood Artslink International Charnwood Artslink International was born in the early 1990s

through links with the Indian state of Gujarat and European twinning links between Charnwood in the UK and towns in Belgium, France, Germany and Poland. Since then we have worked with or promoted the works of artists from over 100 countries.

We began this work even earlier, as since 1977, Charnwood Arts, an arts and educational charity based in the UK East Mildands, has worked with artists and organisations around the world to create scores of exhibitions, events, workshops, festivals, publications and projects.

This current magazine project, initiated in the summer of 2013 is designed to involve people between 16 and 35 years of age in producing magazines about arts and culture in, or from, their home countries.

Most people involved in this project have no direct experience of producing a publication before undertaking the project and with support they are thrown into the deep end of undertaking ALL aspects of originating and producing the magazine for on-line distribution. All of the young people and young adults involved in this project to date have been involved in face to face work with Charnwood Arts. www.charnwoodarts.com

Charnwood

RTSLIN Italy

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Dami谩n Ortega (1967) Organ贸n 3, 2012

Pigmented concrete (9 pieces)

Courtesy of the artist and kurimanzutto, Mexico City

Charnwood Arts acknowledges core support from Arts Council England and Charnwood Borough Council.