Charnwood
RTSLIN Italy
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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. 14
HangarBicocca
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H
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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
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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.
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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.
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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 ...
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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
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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!
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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
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www.marcodalmaso.it
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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
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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
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54
55
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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.
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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.