Strip book #1 by strip-project

STRIP-BOOK #1

we become what we see issue summer 2014

What surrounds us makes us what we are. What we see shapes our mind, our heart, our body. Get ready to explore this indissoluble, alchemich relation.

photography Martina Spagnoli

MAURIZIO DI IORIO

1. Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? I have worked as a copywriter in the past, a job that has left a sign on me forever. I have always worked for ideas and concepts, I’ve never been under the charm of the moment. When I started I was more instictive, lately I’m moving toward a genre of photography that is the result of a precise reasoning. My inspiration is everything contemporary, from food to object. My language may be aestheticizing, but I must clarify that I have no interested to what is beautiful just for beauty’s sake. 2. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? It’s a fault that however coincides with the main characteristic of my personality: I am intolerant towards what is not done well. And it’s a form of intolerance I feel towards myself as well. Therefore it’s a fault that has a positive side as well. 3. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? I have never aspired to happiness. I think it’s silly to aim to it; it’s a bit like when you want to fall in love with someone at all costs. The happiest moments in my life are those I lived when I didn’t think I was happy. It happens to everything, I believe. My idea of misery: to work for necessity without realizing what we like. 4. What is you present state of mind? I am in a “restless” period, but not in a negative sense; I believe that at the basis of creativity there’s always some restlessness. For me, now is a moment very rich in suggestions and I pour almost all of them in the photography I realize. 5. What is your obsession? I’m a man filled with obsessions. I should write a long list. 6. If not yourself, who would you like to be? A writer. I’ve always been fascinated by writing, which to me is the highest form of art. There’s a sentence by David Foster Wallace that explains my idea of writing and literature: “I don’t know what you are thinking or what it feels like to be inside your head, and you don’t know what it feels like to be inside mine. In literature I think in way we manage to jump beyond this wall.” 7. What do you love most in the world? Everything. 8. What do you love less in the world? Almost everything. 9. STRIP for you is? A nice word, whose meaning I like. And also a nice magazine to which I gladly contribute. 10. We become what we see? We don’t become what we see; we ARE what we see. It’s not a negligible difference: because it pertains to the ability to watch and nobody really changes following what he or she sees.

Untitled 2013

MAGNUS GJOEN

1. Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? Absolutely everywhere. I do a lot of research- constantly, either from books, online or anywhere I go. I guess I approach a new project as one would do when designing a fashion collection. Although without any deadlines. Once I’ve hit on something that inspires me, I just continue to search and find more and more inspiration. It’s my need to dig deeper and learn more about anything that might inspire me. 2-.What is your main characteristic and your main fault? I’m one of those people who has to do everything myself. I find it extraordinary that very often when I don’t, the simplest things can go wrong. It’s because people don’t think the same, and expecting them to is quite ridiculous and part of the beauty of being human. 3. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? Happiness is that moment I feel when I’ve just discovered something new or found a way of completing a project that I have been deliberating over for many months. I don’t feel miserable very often, and if I do, I’m certainly not going to moan about it. I simply do something that will make me feel better. 4. What is you present state of mind? Stressed. I’m at the airport and although I travel all the time I always get super-stressed until I’m actually sitting on the plane. 5. What is your obsession? Beauty. I find it everywhere, in the Uffizi gallery in Florence or on a urinal wall. You simply have to look at things from a different perspective. 6. If not yourself, who would you like to be? Mickey Mouse in his younger years. 7. What do you love most in the world? Religion. How it has brought us some of the most amazing art, architecture and beauty. 8- What do you love less in the world? Religion. How religion has been used to start wars and massacred countless people. 9. STRIP for you is? Showing what is underneath the surface. Things are very often not what they seem if you peal back the layers. 10. We become what we see? Although not always so, the more one learns, reads, and sees the more enlightened one would hopefully become.

Escape from Eden

My Heart is Yours forever Web

Delft Grenade

Lucanus Cervus Aureus Web

Worries Fo Down Better With Soup

Ak Delft Web

Roses are Dead Broken Web

GIULIA CAIRA

1. Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? I’m working as a freelance artist since 1994 and my ispirations come from life, mine and yours... 2. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? Sincerity, in both cases. 3. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? Happiness is the perfect time. Misery is poverty and it is terrible. 4. What is you present state of mind? Disillusioned. 5. What is your obsession? I’m obsessed by the unfinished things, outstanding... 6. If not yourself, who would you like to be? Aomane, heroine of novel by 1Q84 by Murakami Aruki. 7. What do you love most in the world? Relationship with real people, real. Very rare. 8. What do you love less in the world? The resigned acceptance and passive of the injustice and arrogance of power… 9. STRIP for you is? Invite someone to dinner at my home. 10. We become what we see? We become what we are. If we are lucky, we become ourselves again...

Virago Anna

SILVA+CEMIN

1. Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? Our inspiration came from different backgrounds, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the point. A film we watched, a sculpture we saw, a trip we got togetherâ&#x20AC;Ś 2. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? Doing many things at same time can be both. 3. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? Happiness is creating and misery is being stuck. 4. What is your present state of mind? Thoughts in the higher ground to create something new and incredible for everyone. 5. What is your obsession? Expression+Creation. 6. If not yourself, who would you like to be? Someone from the future in the present. 7. What do you love most in the world? Being free and healthy (in all meanings) to create and having the work being recognized. 8. What do you love less in the world? Selfishness. 9. STRIP for you is? Something you do with no fear and no repression. 10. We become what we see? If you want to see, you become.

BOUKE DE VRIES

1. Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? While working as a ceramics restorer I started making objects inspired by broken ceramics that I find, unloved and discarded; rethinking them and giving them new life. 2. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? Perfectionism/control-freakism â&#x20AC;&#x201C; simultaneously the best/worst characteristics. 3. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? On the sofa cuddling the dog; being away from the dog. 4. What is your present state of mind? Looking forward. 5. What is your obsession? Working. 6. If not yourself, who would you like to be? Wanting to be someone else is an illusion. 7. What do you love most in the world? Miles and Sonny. 8. What do you love less in the world? Bigots. 9. STRIP for you is? Sexy. 10. We become what we see? And we see what we become.

Ashes To Ashes

Map of Netherland made from 17th and 18th century archeological fragments

When we were happy

The arab spring

Portrait of the artist 2

Portrait of the artist 1

GUILLERMO TURELL YARUR

1. Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? I find inspiration in the reflection of myself in others. Those physical characteristics of mine that I recognize in others. In the darkness which lives in everyone of us. In nudity and sexuality. In nature and the universe, the mystery of beauty. I also find inspiration in religion, religious imagery and symbols, since this has been a huge part of upbringing. I also find inspiration in fashion as well as in old Hollywood female icons. 2. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? I think my main characteristic would be combining female and masculine characteristics. The idea of finding a mentality “between” woman and man, or of an entirely genderless mentality. My main fault its finding it hard to step outside of my own style. 3. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? My idea of happiness is being free to create and experiment. Being completely myself and embracing my own faults. When I let things flow naturally and reach my inner self. My idea of misery is people controlling my life. People telling me what to do and judging everything I do. Living in somebody’s trap. 4. What is your present state of mind? My current state of mind is really variable. It goes from complete joy to the numbness of the heart. The constant battle with the ego. 5. What is your obsession? Barbra Streisand. 6. If not yourself, who would you like to be? Barbra Streisand. 7. What do you love most in the world? I love music. I love feminine boys. 8. What do you love less in the world? Intolerance. I hate being jealous. I hate the ordinary. 9. STRIP for you is? STRIP is the real YOU. The soul of the person, the light within us. The artist behind the mask. 10. We become what we see? We become what we see. We are the creation of the things that surround us. Each one of us looks at things through different lenses. The details that attract me from something, are not the same ones for somebody else. That is what makes us different and unique.

Vampira

Untitled

photography Martina Spagnoli

STEFANIA PAPARELLI

1. Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? Movies music books nature. 2. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? Keen and positive impatient. 3. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? My family and my house in front of the beach and curiosity to be without that. 4. What is your present state of mind? Conscious. 5. What is your obsession? Light. 6. If not yourself, who would you like to be? My mother. 7. What do you love most in the world? My family. 8. What do you love less in the world? Mosquito. 9. STRIP for you is? Freedom. 10. We become what we see? We grow and we become who we want through our own experience and decision.

BERNHARD HANDICK

1. Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? I find my inspiration everywhere. 2. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? Ambitious, workaholic. The faults, the faults. 3. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? Living peaceful with my family and just create. As a mixed media artist, you always has to fight for your rights. 4. What is your present state of mind? Happy to do what I always wish to do. I just only need to earn a bit more money, then everything would be fine. Nearly perfect. 5. What is your obsession? Creating and working. 6. If not yourself, who would you like to be? A bird. 7. What do you love most in the world? My girl, my family, my friends!!! 8. What do you love less in the world? Racism, stupid folk, people who hurts other people... 9. STRIP for you is? In your face with soul. 10. We become what we see? Eat this and that.

Painter and muse

I got you

CLAUDIO CASSANO

1. Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? I do paintings and photography, and more visual art projects… I grew up in Paris and traveling from Italy to NY, Tokyo and Brasil.. I got inspired from people I like, and from what they do...then also from old images and photographs that I collect, magazines or movies, visiting museums and exhibitions is really inspiring… 2. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? I can’t stop. 3. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? Yin and Yang. 4. What is your present state of mind? Concentrate and productive, I’m working on 3 big things: a movie, a book and my archives online. 5. What is your obsession? Number 64. Then food, art, animals and girls. I also collect many things I’m obsessed with: toys, records, books, soccer shirts... 6. If not yourself, who would you like to be? Myself is fine, but I’d be curious trying to be Andy Warhol…or Mick Jagger, David Lynch, Matthew Barney, Leonardo, Al Capone, Akira, Cristiano Ronaldo and Maradona... 7. What do you love most in the world? Natalie Portman...no I’m kiddin, I love my obsessions. 8. What do you love less in the world? The fear to get sick… 9. STRIP for you is? A good thing to do. 10. We become what we see? Monkey see, monkey do? We become what we want, if we really want to...

Julia

Angela Cassano Aftermath

ALESSANDRO CASAGRANDE

1. Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? I can’t say exactly where my inspiration comes from. That’s impossible to say! Sometimes it can just be a movie. I explored cinema by phases, depending on how I feel, but the most inspiring ones are the movies where you can find the perfect lights, wonderful colors and you have all the time to think about these scenes. Other times inspiration came during trips, observing and living in new places, breathing different air. I love traveling I really can’t stay in one place for too long. I love to enjoy every moment and taking everything in deeply to try and catch the real essence of things, even when it comes to the more common stuff. I think that in the right time, everything can be an inspiration. 2. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? I continue to be an extreme dreamer and I love it - I can’t wink with both eyes. 3. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? I can start by saying that misery for me is when you are stuck in a life that you don’t want to live. I mean that moment that everyone passes through in their lives. When it’s not all clear and you don’t know why you’re doing what you’re doing. I speak about this because before focusing my life in photography as a job I was a guy in a university making all the sort of assignments just to get it over with. And in that moment I was feeling so empty because all was just a routine for me. For me, happiness is the fact that I have found myself. Doing what I really love and like. Photography and creativity are the engine to my happiness. 4. What is your present state of mind? It’s constantly changing. I move from one state to another and trust me it happens in a minutes. 5. What is your obsession? I’m debating over this answer, I’ve got a lot of obsessions but in general I can say that I’m obsessed with pretty things. 6. If not yourself, who would you like to be? I always thought I wanted to be a cat in another life! But keeping out the jokes, I have one other big passion completely different from photography. Maybe a chef. I love to cook, the tastes and the smells that you can get from the kitchen. It’s more quiet than being a photographer you don’t have people or girls around you, but creating the perfect plate gives numbers of emotions, charming flavours. This passion came from my family, I grew up in the south of Italy and there the quality of food is very important. Italians after all. 7. What do you love most in the world? Saying my family and the people I love is too obvious of an answer but they are my image in the mirror, I became what I am for what I lived and where I grew up. On the other hand, I am a bit ‘egocentric’, if I can call it that, and I love to look at my conquests and professional goals. It’s complicated to explain in words. I love that feeling that comes when you realize an achievement. When you get just an idea and without noticing after a while you see the result of that idea in a project published and appreciated by others, it all seemed so easy and in that moment you finally realize that you are good in what you doing. It’s more or less this feeling that I love most that rush. 8. What do you love less in the world? I hate to stand in line in public places. I hate to wait and be patient in general. I am very instinctive but I have learned that most of the time being patient is the key to a lot of things. I’m training myself on this! 9. STRIP for you is? Strip is a great project, a new source for beautiful and innovative ideas my favourite type. 10. We become what we see? I’m pretty sure of this. We are our experiences...

Lera Pentelute

Black Mayers, Los Angeles

Lera Pentelute

Iuliia Danko

Maggimae

Bananas

Patycja Zuralew, Paris

Vanessa, Milan

Alexandra

Matt

Lera Pentelute

Benthe De Vries

Maggimae

NEWSHINE

1- Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? Our names are Chloe Newman and Rebecca Scheinberg, and we form Newshine, a photographic duo based in London, UK that explore the notions of artificial and ambiguous experience. We find inspiration in all things weird and shiny. 2- What is your main characteristic and your main fault? We both have a real fetish for the aesthetic and physical quality of objects and images. Equally we tend to diverge and digress on tangents of aesthetical madness, that takes us away into our own weird world. 3- Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? Happiness: Glitter. Misery: No Glitter. 4- What is you present state of mind? We are in a fairly busy time period at the moment so the interior of our heads are sort of the equivalent of the red room in Twin Peaks! Imagine backwards dancing and sweaty palms surrounded by red velvet curtains. It’s kind of pleasurable and completely terrifying at the same time. 5- What is your obsession? We really love the hyper reality of artificial worlds, 70’s glam disco and the superficiality that can exist within pop-culture. We are currently obsessed with disco balls- the bigger the better! 6- If not yourself, who would you like to be? Chloe: Lynch’s Hair. Rebecca: Dr Frankenfurter. 7- What do you love most in the world? The notion of ambiguity and absurdity is what we love most in the world, things that can’t be explained are the best! 8- What do you love less in the world? When you have to return the shiny shoes because you already bought the equally nice but probably more functional dress. 9- STRIP for you is? A really exciting way to reconsider the visual image, and how it communicates with us and us with it. 10- We become what we see? ...The owls are not what they seem.

Black Tropicana Series

FABIO COSTI’

1. Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? The way that I find inspiration for my work can be divided into two steps: the first step is simply watching a peculiar thing that I notice in the chaos. For me it’s like taking a picture of it with my memory so I can take it back home and rielaborate it. The second step is bringing back to my mind what had happened during my childhood in the country outskirts of Naples. 2. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? I would say that my many characteristic is the perseverance and the ability to faithfully realise each of my creative thoughts. My worst fault is that I have too many creative thoughts in my mind and by so I end up starting each project but accomplishing only a few of them. 3. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? My idea of happiness is having the strenght to smile even when we are in poverty. My idea of misery is resembled by those people who have a lot of complain because they believe they haven’t got enough. 4. What is you present state of mind? Right now I feel like I am waiting for something. I identify myself as the main character of one of Klimt’s most famous drawings “Stocker Fries - Die Erwartung 1905”. Now I’m standing as her, surrounded by too many valuable things that I don’t know who to give them to. 5. What is your obsession? I think that one of my obsessions is feeling loved. 6. If not yourself, who would you like to be? I would have liked to be a singer of the 1950’s like Frank Sinatra. 7. What do you love most in the world? I love walking through the autumn leaves and hearing them surrender under my steps. 8. What do you love less in the world? Craftyness is the one thing that I love less in the world. 9. STRIP for you is? Something that can become enormous. 10. We become what we see? Absolutely yes! That’s why I think we all should learn how to close our eyes!

Daphne Deschends project - this is not a reflection - 2013

SONJA GUTSCHERA & LEIF HENRIK OSTHOFF

1. Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? Sonja and I started working together as a photographer duo since we moved to Berlin. We find our inspiration everywhere. You just need to watch and observe everything around you carefully. Like a child, dicovering the world each and every day with pure curiosity. 2. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? We always believe in diversity. One cannot exist without the other. But a strong characteristic might be verve and honesty. But both attributes could be seen as fault, too. 3. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? Love/beloved - love/not beloved. 4. What is your present state of mind? Fighting to staying true to yourself, keeping it real without being impatient... 5. What is your obsession? Oh wow! Now that could take a little while... 6. If not yourself, who would you like to be? No one. 7. What do you love most in the world? It´s a secret. 8. What do you love less in the world? All things, that make bad karma. 9. STRIP for you is? A surprisingly beautiful experiment. 10. We become what we see? We become what we see/feel/love/share/think but sometimes it is even more about becoming what we’d never expected or even never had a change to catch a glimpse at first sight…

John

Lotta

photography Martina Spagnoli

98 | BACKSTAGE EXTRACT || FILEP MOTWARY 114 | PEOPLE || LIONEL BENSEMOUN FOR VILLA LENA 118 | STRIP... || ERIC JOHNSON 130 | BAD WRITING || WRITE AND ROLL SOCIETY 136 | SELECT ZINE || TROIA 140 | SELECT ZINE || MANUEL 144 | VISIONS || MANUELA MARTELLI 152 | MUSIC || PLUGGER 158 | LET’S PLAY || WONDERFUR LUKA 164 | UNUSUAL BEAUTY || FRANCESCA BIAGINI 168 | IDENTITY || FRANCESCO BARONTI

PHOTOGRAPHY FILEP MOTWARY

Miguel

100

Giambattista Valli Couture

Maison Martin Margiela

Lanvin Homme

101

3 102

1 Le mask 2 Poibous 3 Tik Tak Etotique

Alaia pleats

103

3 104

1 Bart smoking in Erïk Bjerkesjö smokin 2 Daria in Dior Couture 3 Asia in Rick Owens

Etienne Russo

105

Rick Owens

106

Rick Owens

107

Yohji Yamamoto

108

Mr Goldstein

109

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Anna Dello Russo

Hanne Gabi

111

Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? I like beauty, outlines, a face, a nose, a fabric, a painting, a word, a scent, sounds, manners, shades, stories, legends, and visual conversations…Luckily fashion consists on all of the above. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? I am very precise and have a routine in everything, my work, relationships, my diet (that’s a new one). My fault is that sometimes I step on my instincts only to be politically correct. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? Children are happiness. Adults can be miserable. Life makes them miserable. What is you present state of mind? Don’t mess with my food. What is your obsession? Right now, going to the gym. If not yourself, who would you like to be? Someone very very very rich. What do you love most in the world? People who ignore emails. STRIP for you is? My work. We become what we see? Depends on one’s depth.

112

Dior

113

LIONEL BENSEMOUN ON VILLA LENA photographed by Martina Spagnoli

114

YOU CAN CALL ME LIONEL by Matteo Razzaguta Lionel Bensemoun, 41 years old, entrapeneur of enterteinment and free time, owner of a few of the most important restaurants in Paris, from Chez Moune to Le lautrec, from la Fidelitè to the Phantom of Paradise, going through the Nanashi restaurants and ending up in the Le Baron restaurant, one of the most famous, with it’s branches of London, New York and Tokyo; he was even the founder of the Calvì Festival on the Rocks, partner of Andrè Saraiva in the communications agency and during the “La Clique” events. We went to visit him in Palaia, a location in the heart of Tuscany, before his departure for the Miami Art Basel 2013 with his partners Andrè, Jerome (musician of the Outlines) and Lena (Art consultant). Villa Lena is located in a 500 hectare farm in Palaia, located in the heart of Tuscany, between Pisa and Florence. It was abandoned for several years until last winter when four partners decided to create a residence with modern comforts needed such as a holiday retreat where they can share their fun, music, art, cinema and other creative experiences. So they created the Villa Lena Art Foundation, a contemporary no profit association, they aims at giving a two months residence in the studios in which artists can work on their creative works. New recording studios are being built and will be ready for the official inauguration in June 2014. These are only a few artists that were guests in Villa Lena: James Capper, Benjamin Clementine, Confetti System, Claudio Cassano, Bobby Dowler, Christopher Green, Kate Groobey, Ana Kras, Shaun McDowell, Nika Neelova, Jay One Ramier, Lola Montes Schnabel, Anna Skladmann, Maria Turn und Taxis and Hugo Wilson.

115

Hi Lionel, when was the first time that you entered Villa lena and what were your first impression? The first time I went to Villa Lena was in November 2012, almost a year ago. It was a rainy day in which I found myself driving through these woods without a precise destination. I felt like as I were in an unknown territory in the middle of no where, but strangerly I really liked this feeling as I liked this place. What impulse gave life to this project? The impulse came from Jerome and Lena: Lena’s family bought this residence a few years ago and until I came along they only took care of the administrative part. They asked me to work on this project with them because they wanted to create a marvellous place: the idea was not to create a simply hotel, but a residence in which artists could be welcomed and could work in this peaceful and quite place. It isn’t simply a hotel, a restaurant or a club, it’s a place where we can share your time, your work and your creativity with all your worldwide friends. It isn’t just simply place in wich you take a vacation with your family, it is also a place where you find inspiration for your art. What other projects are you accomplishing at the moment? Lots of them at the moment. I like working here: technology like Skype for example helps us a lot. I recently opened a new BarRestaurant in Paris called Le Phantom, and I am also organising parties for the Miami Art Basel with my agency “La Clique”. Lasly we are inviting artists, with the help of Le Baron, for the 2014 edition of Clavì on The Rocks that will take place in Moscow. How do you choose your colleagues? The first step that I take to choose my colleagues is looking at their CV because I need to know their work experiences, but I also need know they make me feel, the emotions that they give me. You can’t have an opinion of a person based only on their CV because it is insufficient and exhaustive. Do you have any favourite places in Paris? I love french dishes, they are exquisite, like italian food of course. I would like to mention the new club Nuda that had become famous last summer thanks to their dishes and also to their big balcony. In the ninth and tenth arrondissement there are lots of great restaurants. What’s your favorite piece of music at the moment? Strangely at the moment I am listening a lot of Adriano Celentano’s songs. My favourite is “Prisincolinensinainciusol”. Do you have any strenghts or weaknesses? I don’t know. (The question can be answered thanks to Clarisse Demory, french designer and a very close colleague of Lionel: Lionel’s strengh is that he is always available for everyone, but at the same time his weakness is not to be always available for everyone. What’s your obsession? I’m workaholic and so even when I’m having a drink a look around and check that everything it’s ok. What are the things that you love and you hate? I love music. I hate the chaos of the big cities: I think that this is the reason why I am here now. What does the word Strip mean to you? Nudity, being natural without superficiality. We become what we see ? Of course.

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PHOTOGRAPHY ERIC JOHNSON 118

119

120

121

122

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124

125

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128

Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? About me. Hmmmm. I think we all find inspiration in different things. At least I do. I find people can be really inspiring. I love that intimate exchange between me & a subject. In can in some ways be compared to promiscuity as you have this outlet to hook up with so many people. It’s hot. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? I’m pretty chill & open which allows me to connect with so many different types. I may be a tad self destructive at times. Perhaps if I did less of this and more of that type of thing. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? I still love to take photos more than anything & if I didn’t have this or some other comparable outlet I can imagine it to be very miserable. What is you present state of mind? I kinda feel like I’m towards the tail end of some things & the beginning of some new times or something. What is your obsession? Not sure if I’m really obsessed with anything. It’s an extreme word. I’m a very curious person & I kinda bounce around in that way. I’m really curious about this then that. I think I’d be a great detective because I notice details more than people might think & I often figure out what really went down in situations so lately I watch a lot of those investigation discovery shows to the point where some friends may think. It’s an obsession but I can tell that I’ve kinda peaked with that. If not yourself, who would you like to be? Never had any fantasy of being anyone else. It would be a bit fake if I named someone just because I like them. What do you love most in the world? How do I make this not so corny? I mentioned loving to take photos earlier more than anything to do but I really love my family & friends. I mean it’s such a varied group of people. Different people touch on different spots. Even with my camera I’d hate us not all having each other. What do you love less in the world? Assholes. STRIP for you is? Dropping the guard. We become what we see? If that’s what you want & you’re the type of person to go get what you want. Perhaps I don’t have to be what I see but I may wanna connect with it.

129

screen shoot by Martina Spagnoli

WRITE AND ROLL SOCIETY

writing

After 100 years from the birth of William Burroughs we are publishing his “Movie Project” titled Blade Runner.A science fiction play never realise. Introduction made by Gian Paolo Serino. #Burroughs’ month

BLADE RUNNER UNPUBLISHED WORK 4 FEB 2014 of WNR

Ridley Scott will only borrow the title to lend it to his Blade Runner, featured by Philip Dick’s story, even the Androids dream electric sheep? Reading again this “project” of Borroughs, totally unpublished in Italy (it was published in 1983 from a little publishing industry only in Switzerland), once more we face the brilliant vision of the american writer. The author of “The nude meal” and “The monkey on the shoulder” imagines a tomorrow future of apocalypse. Near. imminent. In 1979 he wrote about “ a fulminating cancer” that became capable of lowering the immune system. Two years later, unfortunately, the text of Borroughs was “reviewed” from Nature with a new title: The gained immune deficiency, known as AIDS. Thanks to Satisfaction for the publishing. BLADE RUNNER di William S. Burroughs Panoramic view of Manhattan from an helicopter. The overcrowding lead to much more governative control on privates, not on the old stile form of oppression or terror of the State Police, but only in terms of work, credit, accommodation, retirement and medical assistance: all types of services that can be suspended. These services are computerised.No number, no service. Nevertheless, this didn’t produce standardised human units and with a washed brain postulated by superficial poets like George Orwell. On the contrary, a large percent of the population was forced in the underground. No one knows how many people were there in this large percent. These are people without a number.New born babies howled. Lotting and constructing projects are growing. Computers do buzz over Con Ed, I.R.S, Welfare, Medicare, Health Insurance.Forms, announcements, accounts continue growing. A desperate citizen packs his bags and leaves his house in Levittown. Does a small heap on leaves, puts a pile of sheets on top and burns it all. An old lady from the other side of the street runs to call somebody. The police patrol arrives and gives the man who burned the pile of sheets, a fine.While he is leaving, he throws that fine in the ashes. Then he goes way with his bags. An airplane panoramic view of the Wall from the 23rd street from Hudson to East River. The wall was built after the Disorders of the Sanitary law in 1984. The Lower City can be cut outside and the wall was secured with troops within 30 minutes.

A wall like that divides Harlem and the central zone of Manhattan. The helicopter moves on south… ruins, falling buildings, abandoned territories. It looks like London after the Blitz.There aren’t no signs of rebuilding except some old fashioned patches. A lot of streets are full of rubbish and obviously it can’t be moved.There are poor outdoor markets and vegetable gardens in abandoned territories all overthe place. Squares and crowded streets suddenly become desert, without people, with no reason. There are boats full of food supplies on rivers. In 1980 there was a lot of pressure to pass the National Sanitation Law. This law wan’t passed from the Medical Lobby because doctors believed that this (law) would end their carriers as a profession and as a benefit for people too. Subjects, as the failing economy, started to spread. Pharmaceutical companies spent a lot of millions to go against the law and posted an announcement in the most famous newspapers because they feared that changing the prices would, as a consequence, cut the profits. And most of all, the street ensurance company said that the law wasn’t necessary and only it could increase the taxes for a worse service. Here is a simple citizen with a normal income. The roof is ruined, even though he tried to repair it.The owner of the house doesn’t do anything. The man shares the dog food with his family. Here we are, paying, to let the black, southern italian and beatniks people survive in hotels and hospitals. We pay them their fucking drugs addictions, we give them money and they don’t even have a job. They have Reverend Parcival as a spokesperson who published an article titled: “The dog guard” on a famous newspaper, with a comic strip: “A northern couple brings their baby in a hospital” . Their black doctor says: “What a disgraceful dirt”. He welcomes a young boy from Puerto Rico who hurt his hand in a fight, by saying: “Come in boy. Nurse please give him a quarter of G.O.M pill”. “Heroin was legalised for the drug addicted in 1980”. The United States Health Service decided to give heroin to the state nursing home and started a complicated bureaucracy with the police and investigators who were corrupted. A lot of people who weren’t drug addicted entered this program and earned a lot of money by drug dealing. Here it is, the new Mr. Medium Class Income. There is a bad and painful case of dermatitis.I just finished paying $50 for a visit. The doctor refuses to prescribe codeine: “ The only thing I can prescribe is the Whitefield ointment”. And now a big and happy family attended. Knock every Harlem door. Two people were on heroine drugs, earned from the Health Service, a daughter in the federal leper hospital in Carrville, Louisiana, a retarded person in Kings State, a muscular dystrophy young kid in a special program. The mother earned money, a cheque for every ungiven help. No jobs, no problems. A coloured TV. Some left turkey on the table. The mother takes a good amount of cough syrup, to keep herself safe from winter colds. The dad is eating a strawberry ice cream. The kids are laying on the house floor, studying turism agencies booklets. They can’t decide whether to go to Lexington for the summer cure (the “Country Club” is now worthy of a name with million of woods, streets for walking, horses, golf, tennis, boas, fishing, all for the interns) or to go visit the little sister in Carrville.

“My God” said the father “I have an ice cream head-ache. Give me an injection, son, quickly, it’s fading”. The doctor gives the kid heroin recipe, without being totally happy. “Please don’t let me see you drug dealing” said the doctor to the boy. He gets the phone.“Nurse, how many leprous are out there in Carrville?”. The traffic in Hansen it’s enormous. Now it’s called the: “White stuff”. Just scratch your arm with a needle and rub it on top, six months later… New leprous go in an old river boat with turn around blades singing: “Home Sweet Home”. Others go to desolated embankment, with frogs that croak…“Welcome to the Hansen family. You know my hand is great… you never threw me outside the program. They can arrest you and send you back to the normal civil life if you don’t pay attention. Well I handle the best white stuff of Carrville.Stay in the program with the ointment of Doctor White”. In the bayous, lakes and rivers, covered cottages with buganville, roses, bellflower , live disgraceful leprous idle, smocking marijuana and opium in their gardens, injecting themselves with the State heroin, with oranges, mangos and avocados that grow in the yard, catching cat fish, pikes and persian fish from the house porch, or opening state boxes with food. Carrville now it’s an enormous swamp that goes from the Great Ticket of East Texas to Everglades in Florida. In the swamp island strange rituals are being celebrated. Young naked people with alligator’s masks dance in front of the Gator Gaprone God that has alligator’s head and goat’s feet. The time of Mardi Gras in Carrville. A languishing aristocratic young man passes sliding on a floral boat, a missing leg from the knee, a phosphorescent stump that thickens in the twilight. A radioactive vital subspecies, terribly chic. Purple lagoons in which emerald fish jump to seek the moon. There, there is a marvellous young leprous masked as Cleopatra on her boat with the handsome Marco Antonio. The entire place is circled and custodied: “So we leave the happy Carrville population that, with ulterior source of strength, transformed that terrible illness in a life system. It’s this why we pay taxes? Homosexual activities and marijuana injections? “In our splendid accommodation, given by the helpful american government, we don’t have to worry about bastards like you that work for a living. May you fall in the shit that you are covered in”. Mafia people who spit in the face of their taxpayer. “Who are you, worke fore living? I’’ spit in your face, you idiot”. A lot of youth denounced handicap cases saying that they couldn’t live together with some disgraceful pay taxes tramp. “They make me so nervous that I wasn’t capable of working. I’m asking for a hundred percent handicap and use of heroin”. When the third National Sanitation Law was refused by the Senate and obstruction attics, disorders in 1984 were created for the Sanitation Law: 500’000 people were dead only in New York City and other millions of damages. Other cities had greater loss. Deaths in the US were 10 million. Ironically the high level of mortality was caused by the government that tried to protect the people from explosions with severe weapon controls. The National Law regarding the weapon registration left out the ones with penalty or drug dealing or mental disorders and the ones in need of public assistance, can’t buy or posses weapons of any kind, including guns. This left the Middle Class with new more weapons.

“Based upon these weapons and police sympathy and the National Guard, Christ’s Parcival Soldiers talked about conquering New York and kill the ethical people, beatniks, bad drug dealers and homosexuals. Being honest with this ideas they scared a lot of people including international banks, like Wall Street and Yellow Danger. Did this mean that the Jewish, the rich and Chinese are on the list? Potencial and highly strong politicians established that they needed to protect themselves from the Parcival followers. Somehow a document known as “The devil’s diary” started to spread even to the people who were threatened. “ The devil’s diary was prepared as an order for the CIA in the 1960’s. It contained detailed instructions for creating weapons from material that could be found in every drug store or ironmongery: black dust, bombs, more than a biological and chemical battery. How to produce botulinus starting from a bouillon in a box: how to make nerving gas from insects sprays: how to make clorine, nitro-glycerine, foster, ammonium, arsenical gas. These weapons, with crossbow, blowgun, sling and brooms, caused a lot os dead people.

Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? From non-sense stuff. Only from this. We see hot girls, we get nostalgic and we start writing. That’s it. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? I have low tolerance towards bastards. But in reality we have high tolerance. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? Happiness isn’t an ending, it’s an approach. People don’t understand a fuck about it. Misery is lack of feeling. What is your present state of mind? Half erection. What is your obsession? To fuck a trainee (Pisto). Go to my mother’s house (Banhoff). If not yourself, who would you like to be? This is a fucking question. What do you love most in the world? My kids (Pinto and Banhoff). What do you love less in the world? Fanzine, Hipsters, the cool people, intellectuals. Most most of all I would say fanzine. STRIP is for you? It isn’t a fucking thing. We become what we see? This is an fucking intellectual question.

| TROIA

Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? Troy is a fanzine. I create a frame of images that expressed the society as it really is, from my point of view: TROY. TROY is the mirror of society. We do an archeological, trashing, speleological work and a recovery of sensorial findings, it’s like seeking for porn magazines that have become incredicly hard to find in the ditches and in the abandoned countryside on the edge of chipped urban centres. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? The main characteristic is bitter and mimetic: introducing your self with non-sense vehicles like the story of the horse of Troy or even computer viruses. It’s worst defect is thet compared to the eternal and everlasting files, our meat (human body) it’s like paper that will fade, sooner or later, and this same emaciated human meat will be absorbed by the passing of time. This more than a defect it can be considered an extremely eroic action. It’s giving yourself to it, it’s squandering, it’s giving your self to the passing of time, to the fade, a city like Troy isn’t going to last for ever. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? Happiness is giving others your desires. Misery it’s vulgar and a form of showing off your wealth. What is your present state of mind? I fell quite good. What is your obsession? I have two obsessions: the first one is an anthropological obsession, in other words is simply seeking for the latest remains of humanity in the large format of society. The second obsession is psycogeographic, in other words is simply descovering the latest and peripheral. If not yourself, who would like to be? I’d like to be a new me. A person that can do whatever he wants to do.A geologist, a man who has a cleaning company, a barman on the road, an ethical slut, a thief of Acapulco (city in New Mexico), a man who has a cleaning business, a gunner, a farrier..but I would like just being SOMEONE. What do you love most in the world? Diversity. Curiosity. Discoveries. The people’s eyes and their skin: meaning that if a person doesn’t give me goose bumps it means that we are never going to get along. I don’t need any symbols, no pinchbeck, no strategies or attitudes, just epidermis. Only the alchemy of smells that counts. What do you love less in the world? Duties. Being nice at all costs. Everything that is opened all day 24 hours. Sluts (unisex social class). The little bosses and their little power. The status-simbol. The modern that has an ancient odor. STRIP for you is? I don’t know. It could be a comic strip, a hair removal strip, strings of the universe. Srip-teaser, Strip tease? Space-time strip? We become what we see? I think it would be better to say that we are how other people see us. Our potencial. Everyone has an idea, more or less, of what they see. Until others get to know us better they judge us only on what they think they know.Anxiety let us visible to other people, even thought our clothes become an impenetrable armour.

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| MANUEL

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Michto - 2012

Gypsy Grabber

Passage of Lathuille - 2013

Gypsy Grabber

« Gypsy GrabbinG » is a rite durinG which a boy indicates his « romantic » interest to a Girl ; by catchinG her of strenGth, he isolates her and does not let her leave before she Gave him a kiss or her phone number.

Wooden Brief- text pieces - 2011

Weekly demands - 2012

lAunch of the issue # 02 - the roMAnticisM pirAtes, A file wAs nAMed desire to the Atelier rouart, the mansion, paris-fr

A posh’n becksy will s o to hook up with

MAnuel #2 : case including four books, edited to 150 numbered copies.

Alw Ays think we’ll chAse After her booty. An oceAn peArl, buddy, pick one less spicy!

paperback edition, perfect-bound paperback size 42 x 30 cm closed, published to 25 copies

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Baci, Baci - 2013

Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? My name is Helene, I have been graduated from Les Beaux-Arts de Paris in 2012. I am living in Paris currently working as intervening artist in “The Gallery” an art center near Paris. I co-found Manuel in 2011 with others artists. Manuel is a creative platform which is produces Fanzine, Exhibition, Residency across Europe, mixing the young creative generation and well establish artists. In my art practice I am working also with words, creating ironic text pieces ; I am also interested in the case of the Artist’s book in order to think of a new way to exhibit it. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? I always manage to fall on one’s feet but I can be very impatient. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? :) & ☹:( What is you present state of mind? Enrico Macias Le Mendiant de l’amour (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veVCIbAE0ss ). What is your obsession? I can be obsessed with Shoes and Books. If not yourself, who would you like to be? A big Cat. What do you love most in the world? A nice sunny week-end. What do you love less in the world? A rainy and cold monday. STRIP for you is? A landing’s one. We become what we see? And what we do, will dictate what we will become as well…

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MANUELA MARTELLI

Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? I find inspiration in the meaning of ‘subject of labor,or better from a personal interpretation of the meaning of ‘subject in question, sensations, and visions that stem and from the attempt to transpose these feelings and images with appropriate architectural solutions. This interpretation comes from an initial concept from which you will develop guidelines for the entire project. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? My main characteristics, I think they are humanity, loyalty, curiosity. My faults: laziness, the laziness, latent pessimism. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? Happiness: first of all live in real contact with the most intimate of ourselves with who we are, with our strengths weakness, limits, in awareness and self-respect, acceptance and fullfilment and then sharing pittance: an arid soul, unconsciousness of the world, envy. What is you present state of mind?...nowadays I feel crushed by the needs and responsibilities of daily living that limit the creative work, research for its own sake.What is your obsession? A haunting thought that everything flows around me and I remain motionless. If not yourself, who would you like to be? Maybe I’d like to be a seeker, a traveler, a journalist. What do you love most in the world? I love the beauty as elegance, harmony and refinement and the humility, the life that flows, the diversity and uniqueness as multiplicity, the pure intelligence, the silence. What do you love less in the world? I dont love the pettiness, the lack of education, the great numbers, I’m afraid of those who never commit theirselves. STRIP for you is? Strip is: get naked, talk about, get to know, meet each other, then a story, a road, a shortcut, a path, a road, a line.We become what we see? We become (are) what we see in the meaning that the images in general: direct imagines proposed or imposed, indirect image, images induced, suffered, are as point of view, as filter, as magnifying glass. In my opinion I would rather say ‘we become What we Think, imagine...’ in the meaning that what we see around us, it was anyway thought and imagined by someone before who created that image then, or that object or structure that did not exist before. Being able to create what we think or became ourselves,what we imagine is anyway a creative action, maybe what we imagine is influenced by what we see or have seen so far...but this, once known and experienced is already passed, whereby you can imagine going over, at least with thought.

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We become what we see

What do we see around us then ? and yet, what we see: is it real ? If we think about what sorrounds us, we realize that, today, a space intended as a merely physically limited, closed, bounded place doesn’t exist anymore, but there’s a virtually infinite dimension, in which communicating and moving is easy, immediate and accessibile: the network. The progress of information and electronic technologies has allowed us to create virtual images, virtual lives and spaces, in which we could surf the photorealistic environments in real time, interacting with present objects and perceiving them as real. More than real and virtual, perhaps it would be better to talk about physical and virtual, or about physical reality and virtual reality, in which the level of realism is given by the level of perception that the subject – during the interaction – feels to be real (psychological realism). We could also talk about “possible objects” and “virtual objects”, according to the specification of Gilles Deleuze : “Possible objects are the opposite of real objects. The virtual objects instead are not opposed to the real ones, they already have their full reality”. Even in the physical reality, the urban space as a circumscribed, bounded, closed space, is anyway over: the city in itself has dramatically grown out of any control: built-up areas that auto-build, others demolishing themselves to re-build elsewhere. I seeked the term city in “The metapolis dictionary of advanced architecture“and found out that this term is not defined, but it pushes me back to “multicity” or “metapolis “: “city? An old world see’m. City (or multicity)” “Multicity see’m. City or multicity or, better, Metapolis”. “The contemporary metapolis constitutes…..a reality that trascends and comprehends, from diverse points of view, the metropolises we have known until now, fostering a new type of urban agglomeration made of multiplied, heterogeneous and discontinuous spaces and relationships.….. A spectrum of cities within the city”. According to Tanaka Jun “the grow-up of virtual architecture is linked to cities and architecture decline and decay: at a certain point in our history we were sorrounded by virtual architecture and detained in its cozy interiors. It’s the condition we were forced to live in, during the late XX century, through physical, sensual and sexual meetings with computers “ – (as quoted in (im)possible architectures, virtual architectures). Moreover, digital technologies have also modified the design of architectural forms and their expression: architectures generated by algorithms ... which do not sketch a closed, finished path, but give the opportunity to create other paths in an unlimited number and all different... tumescent appearances in the process of transformation could be defined and drawn“ (cit. M.Warner,9th international architecture exhibition in venice,2004 theme: methamorph). The evolution of “advanced” technologies such as biotechnologies, nano-technologies, cybernetics and so on, leads to the replacement of a logic based on firm, pre-established appareances and arrangements, for a logic based on the simulation of morphological processes evolving day after day (John Frazer, Evolving Virtual Environment): thus “sensitive”, interactive spaces are generated. See for example Nox’s Fresh Water Pavillon: here the architectural space is not only a continuum, where ceiling and floor are a “One”-a single shape that extends itself in the space- but a system capable of contextual sensitivity, which smartly interacts with the person who’s wallking through it, through sensors and actuators sensitive to human presence. In wider terms, we do not any longer talk about space or surface, but Hypersurfaces, that’s to say surfaces which go beyong their physical limits, entering the world of interconnections : simply think of touchscreen surfaces or Home Automation *

*Home automation : it’s the science which deals with the application of electronics and information technology to the organization of domesitc life ( appliances and centralized controls ) and the employment of related devices.

In Arca Magazine N.53, 2007 “Dreams & Visions “J.Johansen with his project “the growing City “ puts forward the hypothesis of an architecture conceived and realized according to human DNA principles & rules: thanks to MNT (Molecular Nano Technology) products, materials will be designed to be soft, folding or rigid, so that i.e. furnitures could follow occupant’s position changes. M.Kudryashov introduces the Bio City : a project where city is not a bare technological city, but a living system which, through networks, internet and automation, evolves itself, adjusting to flows, climate and light changes. Going forward, we switched from body, through cyborg, to avatar. Quoting Marcos Novak ( Father of TransArchitecture, founding director of the Laboratory For Immersive Virtual Environments and the Advanced Design Research Program at the School of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin) ” future design will deal with avatar and their senses, the whole conceived in spaces equally artificial and physical ....Try to build hybrid and smart spaces in order to create a new architecture : The TransArchitecture, which is able to merge the two worlds, real and virtual, into a third one: The radical HYBRID of the two worlds ( Babele 2000) and also ... ‘I just want to recreate an “allouniverse” : an allogenetic structure with aware and intelligent artificial life forms in it. It is here that the concept of “allo“ plays an essential role: a suffix that indicates not the other of the same kind, but the other one of another kind. “Allouniverse “ is based on the idea of inducing a continuum between abstract and concrete, with a smoothly transition from a dimension to another : this is what we are attempting to do…’ (interview to Marcos Novak, “The Future is “ by Teresa De Feo Milan 2008) We have moved from artificializing the natural dimension to naturalizing and sensitizing the artificial dimension, so that this artificial dimension could behave according to the changes in external environment conditions. We have moved from simulating a physical reality to giving a sense of real to a virtual world.Nature and technology, physical and virtual : they live crosswise side by side, interacting, corrupting each other, creating new worlds. After all “Reality is a question that appears in the memory of our retina...” Cit.Enric Ruitz-Geli in “The metapolis dictionary of advanced architecture”.

MANUELA MARTELLI

vision, from left: Binocular vision. Drawing|Digital Art Image-Fractal image composed of real images by Village9991|Google Glass. digital, from left : Mariko Mori, Kumano Forest|Mariko Mori, Entropy of love. holograms,from left: Interactive Real-size Hologram,by AirStrike|L’Atelier Empreinte.Lingerie Model 3d Hologram by Animatik Studio | Fast /Fast Forward Exibition at Musee de la Modè et du Texile,Paris |Enric Luiz Geri,Untitled. hipersuperficies: H2O-XPO “Water Pavillon”by Nox. olanda 1997.interacivity,from left: Moodwall - Studio Klink and Urban Alliance 2009|Not So White Walls 2005,interactive Wallpaper Dario Buzzini|Next.Board, Venice,Natural History Museum 2011.digital landscapes:Neen buildings for a Neen World.(www.acticeworld.com).virtual spaces, from left: inside-Trans_Ports2001(web-architectura Oosrehuis.nl)|graph and view of Bio-City.M.Kudryashov,S. Rastorguev.

PLUGGER photographed by Martina Spagnoli

Plugger is an open project. The elements of this project are mysterious. It’s a new music gender. It’s not a remix, not even a re edit, not even a mash-up, not even a cover. This project extracts parts of an original music composition and they elaborate it in a new way “This is not a record”; that’s their first music disk, released on the 14th of February 2014. There are 5 different versions: morning, daylight, sunset, sunrise, night, all related to the different parts of the day. “If you put together all the pieces of your existance, every time in the same way, you are just repeating your status. And if your status isn’t the way that you expected to be, you are fucked. If you put together all the pieces, all the different combinations, you have infinite possibilities to run away from what you don’t like.You create your freedom everyday with your hands. Lorange Sadbaars: “La musica e’ esaurita’ Text by Matteo Razzaguta

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Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? When everything vanishes before your very eyes, you might as well hold on tight to the few things you think are true. That’s it...What is your main characteristic and your main fault? My main characteristic is also my main fault : I’m human! Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? Happiness is peace, misery is chaos. What is you present state of mind? Peace and chaos. What is your obsession? Seeking infinite into finitness. If not yourself, who would you like to be? I’d like now to be you, to see myself from another perspective. As you see, is always matter of egotism. We will never tear off ourselves. What do you love most in the world? All the things in my life. What do you love less in the world? All the things in my life. STRIP for you is? Taking off your clothes. You start, I’ll follow. We become what we see? Lies. Because eyes,if you’re not wise, can see only a small part: reality, a disguise.

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Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? Street/club/web/ some blog.Â What is your main characteristic and your main fault? Obsessive.Obsessive.Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? To go skiing in the mountains. Stupid people. What is your present state of mind? Travelling. What is your obsession? Music and Mountain. If not yourself, who would you like to be? A Wolf. What do you love most in the world? Snow. What do you love less in the world? Routine. STRIP for you is? A great Project ;-). We become what we see? Sometimes.

WONDERFUR LUKA

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photography Martina Spagnoli

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FRANCESCA BIAGINI

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Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? Women are my inspiration. I have to say that women mostly inspire me. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? My main characteristic is that I always smile. My main fault is that sometimes I have â&#x20AC;&#x153;crocodile tearsâ&#x20AC;?. Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? My idea of happiness is smiling. My idea of misery if suffocating. What is your actual state of mind? My mind has chaos, instinct and heart. What is your obsession? I am obsessed with thoroughness. If not yourself, how would you lie to be? I would like to be Wonder Woman. What do you love most in the world? I love chocolate. What do you love less in the world? I hate the lack of sensibility. STRIP for you is? I guess taking off your clothes. e become what we see? Not always, sometime is inevitable.

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A VISUAL CONVERSATION WITH

FRANCESCO BARONTI

Acne t-shirt customized by Francesco Baronti

WE BECOME WHAT WE SEE | The Anthropology of Strip-Project

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photography Martina Spagnoli

Tell me about you. Where do you find inspiration for your work? I am the product of everything that surrounds me, my way and the plagues and the aromas of this world, therefore my work is what I hear around me…I’m Francesco Baronti , just a sponge!. What is your main characteristic and your main fault? Fantasy and anger, fantasy and what is worse when my ego paws.Your idea of happiness and your idea of misery? Happiness is the essence of life, progress, growth and feel that we are all in the world for something, the exact opposite his the misery surrounded by the absence of the philosophy of ‘enthusiasm ...What is you present state of mind? Quiet. What is your obsession? Making Art , an interesting life and not get bored. If not yourself, who would you like to be? Depends on what I have to do...What do you love most in the world? Live and create. STRIP for you is? It’s getting undressed. It’s where the heart finds it’s home and the art fells comfortable. We become what we see? Definitely!! We see, we assimilate, excrete and then emulate. In my work and in my world I am what I see with both eyes at the thought.

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photography Martina Spagnoli

MAURIZIO DI IORIO I'm an Italian photographer with a past as advertising copywriter. But since there's no change without incongruity, for a few years I devoted myself to an entrepreneurial activity. With photography, I've come back to my sources: creativity and communication. Three years ago I founded a magazine of contemporary photography, which I'm running together with a young colleague, that allows me to follow and investigate everything happening in the field. I don't like the kind of photography that is expression of beauty for beauty's sake; the one that convinces me and that I'm passionate about deals in humour, emotion and surprise. I am more and more interested in commercial photography, which in the last two years has gone through a positive evolution of its own language. So the circle is going to close definitively: soon I'll go back to the advertising worlds, only this time as a photographer.

STEFANIA PAPARELLI Stefania Paparelli was born in Rome. After graduating high school and a long experience traveling and working through out Europe, first in the Uk and afterwards in France, she is now based in Sardinia, with her family, commuting between Sardinia and Paris. She works worldwide for magazines such as Crash, Elle (France), Elle (Italy), Glamour (France), Glamour (Italy), Harper’s Bazaar (Russia), Jalouse, La Repubblica delle Donne, Le Figaro (Japan), Le Nouvelle Observateur, L’Officiel and The Sunday Times. In 2002, during the week of photography in paris. At the age of thirty, she made her debut with her first exhibition "Intimo" edited by Flavio Nervegna. In 2005 she took part in the important milanese collective exhibition “Lo Sguardo Italiano. fotografie di moda dal 1951 ad oggi” edited by Francesco Bonami, Giusi Ferré, Maria Luisa Frisa, Mario Lupano, Claudio Marra ed Anna Mattirolo at la Rotonda della Besana. In 2006 she took part in the collective “9x100: Nove Fotografi per Cento Fotografie” organized by Maria Evangelisti for the gallery Santa Cecilia during the fifth edition of “Fotografia”.

SONJA GUTSCHERA & LEIF HENRIK OSTHOFF The Berlin based photographer duo Sonja and Leif started their professional career back in spring 2009, after moving from Cologne to Berlin. They became a couple in 2006 and wanted to separate strictly work and private matters. By that time, Leif worked as freelance photographer, dop and chief lighting technician, while Sonja was focussed on free art direction and always a bit of photography. Everything changed since they realized a free production together, because they just wanted to know what it's like. "It takes a while, building up a new business from nothing. Also, because we're not in our twens any more and left everything we've achieved so far, behind. ; ) But all the hard work and the sometimes challenging parts of living and working together, start to flourish and we just really love and believe in what we do!", Sonja admits. They describe their work as subtle, calm, yet strong and intense. "Storytelling and a really good idea matters the most to us. Due to our different backgrounds, we're able to really pick the best bits and pieces from each other and create something more than just a plain picture.", Leif says.

MANUEL FANZINE My practice is born from an adoration of the stylistic device, verbal jousting, or words taken out of their context. I am torn between different relationships: architecture/writing, common heritage/personal history, creating a work of writing that I re transcribe into installations or editions. The book, object that we cannot look at without touching, is generally at the center of my considerations. By means of Manuel, a collaborative platform created by the Artist, we co-produces publications that are distributed all over Europe during different participatory events (exhibition, workshop, residency ...). In addition, in my plastic work, I elaborate solutions to travel across edition in order to develop new formats for the Artist’s book, by constructing a favoured exhibit framework imagining new specific ways of occupying the space/ layout for the works. Playing with the scale to integrate the rooms in the in-situ via sculpting and decor. With one look at my practice, one can read my will to translate, to reinterpret the words and the space, may it be that of the work or of the viewer, willing to focus the glance towards poetic nonsense.

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MAGNUS GJOEN "Magnus Gjoen was born in London to Norwegian parents and studied design in London and Milan and has worked as a designer/graphic designer for Vivienne Westwood and Costume National amongst others. Gjoen brings a touch of punksensibility to the art tradition. His fashion background infuses Magnus' art, re-thinking old concepts and re-interpreting them for the contemporary climate. Working to shed new light on past treasures, Magnus' prints alters the relationships between the viewer and the preconceived notions of objects; something which is ostensibly powerful and destructive is transfigured into beautiful and fragile objects of art, be it weapons, animals or the human race itself. Taking inspiration from the street and pop art and juxtaposing it with fine art, Magnus creates new and modern takes on old masterpieces, questioning the correlation between religion, war beauty, destruction and art. His art at once uplifting and damning; this is salvation for a godless generation."

GIULIA CAIRA Giulia Caira was born in Cosenza on the 5th of October 1970. She works and lives in Turin.Her career started in 1994 with a photography research on the human body using an expressionist attitude, which is clearly visible in the first black and white images and in the first project on coloured portraits. Her unique characteristic as an artist was thanks to the use of colour, personal interpretation and her home as her working place.By so she wanted to emphasise the concept of the family environment. She often used the photography series, as a sequence scene, which are short stories regarding cinema, daily news and nature topics. In 2002 the artist drawed her attention not only on the photography but also in the use of the video as a narrative instrument. In 2004 she decided to leave her home and to concentrate of topics regarding the social positions of women in a patriarchal culture. Her works are part of public and private collections.

CLAUDIO CASSANO

BERHARD HANDICK Diplom Designer Bernhard Handick studied at Folkwang University of Arts. Exhibitions in New York, London, Amsterdam, Korea, Germany, Swiss. His Works has been published at Vogue Italia, Glamcult, The Fashionisto, GUP Magazine, Metal Magazine, C-Heads Magazine, Art Magazine, Juxtapoz, We Are Selecters, P Magazine, Washington Post."MYself understanding as an artist is not that I produce artwork which is completed after my process of creation. Rather, the spectator is the one who finishes the work in the particular way in which he interprets it – in this sense, he is the one to add the final brushstroke."

Claudio Cassano has created a personal visual language in a balance between the traditions of Renaissance and Neo Pop contemporary influences, developed over the past ten years through the channels of art and media communications. Born in Naples in 1974 and grew up in Turin and Paris, always moving between New York, London and Tokyo, he has produced a huge universe of images using primarily painting, but also working with photography, video and illustration. Graduate in Art History, has the characteristic to combine a large academic technique with a childlike spontaneity in the sign, use of colors and in the representation of the subjects of his vast imagination. Strong neo-classical influences, rules of composition and theory of light goes together with a gesture of painting without limitations, creating dreamlike characters that live in his personal limbo. The works of Cassano shows a figuration that brings back important elements of the tradition of portrait painting and representation of reality, where the subjects are catched in their lives, seeing by surprise by the viewer in a parallel universe. Often taking inspiration from his own photographs, but also from books, magazines or historical references, the original images are unconsciously modified by recreating everyday scenes of invented memories. In his oil paintings the pictorial strokes are fast and secure, as stains creating details that actually don't exist in the work, the colors joins together naturally with each other through elementary chromatism yet surprising and effective, and an educated sign yet uncontrollable shines even in the his drawings on paper. Majestic and sweet figures, but softly melancholic as the represented places, an existential detachment given through a new figurative dimension made from real elements but at the same time so distant from us.

FILEP MOTWARY Filep's career in fashion started back in early 2000, right after he finished his fashion studies and immediately worked as assistant stylist for the Greek edition of L'Officiel magazine in Athens. He simultaneously launched his capsule collection Soit L'autre which was available in the legendary boutique Bettina, next to designers the likes of Comme Des Garcons, Balenciaga, Sophia Kokosalaki. In late 2003 Filep moved to Paris and worked for John Galliano, Dior Couture and Chloe during her final season for the House. In 2005, Filep returns to Greece and re-launches his collection in team with jewellery designer Maria Mastori under the name Mastori*Motwary Studio. They still work together only for special projects. My costumes have been presented in a variety of museums around the world: Hasselt Mode Museum.Belgium , GaiteLyrique. Paris, Centraal Museum Utrecht, Hellenic Amercian Union. Athens, Musee Des Art Decocratifs.Paris, Michael Cacoyiannes Foundation.AthensCurrently Fashion Features Editor for Dapper Dan MagazineCounting collaborations Another Magazine Web. , UnderCurrent, POP, “A”Magazine Curated by.., Vogue Italia web, Vogue Paris web, The Stimuleye, Diane Pernet’s A shaded view on Fashion. Twice awarded blogger since 2005, Dazed & Confused Raw blog awards(2009) and third prize at Golden Blog Awards in Paris (2010). Social Network Manager, journalist & photographer for Hyeres Festival (12 & 2013)Photographer &Journalist for JOYCE Hong Kong since 2011 till this day. Winner of Jury Price for his film “NUPTIALIS: Is this real life” along with Maria Mastori, directed by Suzie and Leo Siboni (2011) at ASVOFF. Illustrator for a number of publications including “VISUAL RESEARCH METHODS in FASHION” a book by JULIA GAIMSTER of the LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION. Guest tutor for several fashion schools. One of ten selected guests for table debate discussion at POLIMODA, June 2012. Head of Q&A project in collaboration with Linda Loppa /Polimoda for a series of interviews featuring Rick Owens, Tim Blanks, Humberto Leon of Kenzo, Bruce Pask, Christian Lacroix, Danilo Venturi, Diane Pernet, Etienne Russo, Robin Schulie... (January 2013). Jury member for the Bachelor and PhD graduates in LA CAMBRE, June 2012 & 2013. Jury of Pre-Selection Hyeres Festival 2013. Freelance photographer for Vogue.Fr. On June 24th until July 4th 2013, Filep collaborates with Vogue.Fr for a series of photographs featuring Milan and Paris SS14 menswear and Couture. Along with Maria Mastori, participants with a costume of his own design and jewellery by Maria at Atopos Monsters in Fashion Exhibition, Gaite Lyrique Paris. February 2013. Included in "STYLEFEED: THE WORLD'S TOP FASHION BLOGS" by Susie Bubble and William Oliver (Prestel 2012).

LIONE BENSEMOUN Lionel Bensemoun, was born in Marseille (France). He made his first steps in communication and public relations as a graphic designer. His nightlife and passion for music eventually led the sleepless youngster to mix work and pleasure. As an early producer of successful parties and events (La Johnson, Lunafiac, Calvi On The Rocks Festival), he’s always one step ahead on trends and artistic direction. Thanks to his feel businesses and relationships, he created with his friend André two clubs (Le Baron and Paris Paris) that not only entertain the whole city, but are also exported for contemporary art fairs (Frieze, Miami Beach Art Basel…) or film festivals (Cannes, Deauville…). Multitasked in producing, he publishes the magazine “Antijour”, sets up a music label and an entertainment agency, and keeps on developing event-driven activities.

MANUELA MARTELLI Licensed architect, Bachelor of architecture and Master of Arch. at University of Florence, qualified in Bioclimatic Architecture and new technologies at INARCH in Rome. She attended courses in MODELING and processing digital images. She took part in several national competitions in architecture. She is interested in graphics and photography, design lover, and contemporary art lover in all its forms of expression, she’s an interior designer and a property renovator

SILVA + CEMIN Silva+Cemin is Guilherme Silva, 22, and Rodolfo Cemin, 21. Silva studied Art and now he’s attending the Fashion course. Cemin is a Social Comunication - Advertising student. Silva and Cemin are a couple who started to photograph since they have met in 2011. The duo’s work has been shared in Art and Fashion magazines and websites around the globe. The bright of their work come from the powerful love they put in every piece they create together.

ALESSANDRO CASAGRANDE Alessandro Casagrande is a passionate young photographer, born in Caracas Venezuela and grew up in Italy. He was based in Milan in the start, studying and taking bachelor’s degree in photography and at the same time working as an assistant photographer in studio. It all started more or less in the way these things generally start. After working in the studio, this opportunity gave him a chance to get the right contacts to work in fashion . In this period of time he had the chance to assist for different magazines and lookbooks for clients such as Marc Jacobs and Dsquared. After these experiences, he understood that the best choice for him would be to try and work on his own, and that’s how he started as a freelancer. His first works in Milan were for Philipp Plein and he received as soon requests overseas. Last year Alessandro was based between Los Angeles and London. Now after a while, he came back to Milan for the past months and is preparing to move to New York where he will be based from 2014.

BOUKE DE VRIES Born in Utrecht, The Netherlands, Bouke de Vries studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven, and Central St Martin’s, London. After working with John Galliano, Stephen Jones and Zandra Rhodes, he switched careers and studied ceramics conservation and restoration at West Dean College. Every day in his practice as a private conservator he was faced with issues and contradictions around perfection and worth and used this as the starting point for his works. Using his skills as a restorer , his artworks reclaim broken pots after their accidental trauma. He has called it ‘the beauty of destruction’. Instead of reconstructing them, he deconstructs them. Instead of hiding the evidence of this most dramatic episode in the life of a ceramic object, he emphasises their new status, instilling new virtues, new values, and moving their stories forward.

NEWSHINE Chloe Newman and Rebecca Scheinberg form the London based photographic duo Newshine. Their work explores the notions of artificial and ambiguous experience. Chloe and Rebecca met when beginning a BA Photography degree at London College of Communication in 2011 and began collaborating together in April 2013. Newshine's work has been featured online on Self Publish Be Happy, Contributor Magazine and Disturber Magazine. Their work Black Tropicana has been featured in the exhibition A Tribute Act, and SPBH 89+ Marathon at the Serpentine Gallery London.

GUILLERMO TURELL YARUR Guillermo Turell Yarur is an illustrator who is also interested in acting and singing. Originally from Spain he moved to London to study at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, where he obtained his Foundation Diploma in Art and Design and graduated from BA Graphic Design. His work reflects his interest in Fashion, religious imagery and landscapes. He also enjoys exploring the idea of androgyny. The mixing of Masculine and Feminine characteristics interest him as well as the idea of finding a mentality “between” woman and man, or of an entirely genderless mentality.

FABIO COSTI’ Fabio Costì is an Italian photographer, sculptor, and illustrator born in Naples, Italy. He studied at the Fine Arts Academy of Naples and graduated with a thesis about photography in motion. He then moved to Milan to pursue his career in photography. His photographic language found a good deal of success within the fashion industry. Throughout his career he held numerous solo and group shows.

WRITE AND ROLL SOCIETY This is the Write and Roll Society, the last drop of lucidity before the big black hole. It was born on the 5th of February 2014, a hundred years after the birth of William Seward Burroughs. Dedicated to the bad form of writing. TROIA ZINE I/TA (team) I: artist, musician, t-shirt designer (works for the most important and famous italian/ european stores) Vison/Director at the STUDIOTACCO (Milan) TA:singer, musical (en manque d’are - AFA - Ajello) producer, writer, dj, majored at DAMS (Bologna, Italy). ERIC JOHNSON Eric Johnson is an award-winning photographer whose archive reveals an extensive collection of iconic shots of a diverse and sophisticated array of subjects – from Muhammad Ali, Notorious B.I.G., Aaliyah, Cindy Sherman, Spalding Gray, and Jeremy Blake, to Erykah Badu, Gus Van Sant, Peter Max, Al Green, and Bruno Mars. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, W Magazine, Vogue, Rolling Stone, Dazed and Confused, The Face, The Fader, Flaunt, Vibe, and Complex, and on many album covers, including The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, De La Soul’s Stakes Is High, and Maxwell’s Now, Urban Hang Suite, and BLACKsummers’night, among others. Eric was commissioned by MTV in 2001 to create his first book, which he titled “Common,” published for that year’s Video Music Awards. His first solo show was in 2004 at Buia Gallery in New York City. His photographs have since been featured in numerous photo books and art/photo exhibitions. Eric was awarded his first Communication Arts Photography Annual Award of Excellence in 1998, and the honors he has received since include, most recently, Creativity International Awards for his photos of Lady Gaga and Lil Wayne for the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. HEADS, Eric’s current large-scale series of portraiture and candid work, documents the people who pass through his Midtown Manhattan loft that is at once a photo studio, gallery, disco, lounge, and home. The space, Upstairs at Eric’s, is reminiscent of old-school New York; it is a place where ideas, creativity, and energies combine to create something fresh. Upstairs at Eric’s has become synonymous with a lifestyle and aesthetic that has attracted high-profile clientele including Barney’s New York and MTV to hire Eric for campaigns inspired by him and the space itself.

PLUGGER Another new band. Or maybe a slightly diffferent project.We do PLUGS. Not remixes, not mash-ups, not covers. We do original tracks written and produced using only fragments of a musical legend's discography. Find out more about what is a PLUG and who are pluggers at www.plugger.dj or read the book "Music is Over" by Lorange Sadbaars.

WONDERFUR LUKA Luca Frati, aka Wonderfur, has spent the last 10 years building his musical roots through the foundations of himself, the artistic environment of Florence, its heritage, and the European culture. Expert dentist in daytime, Luca’s passion for photography, architecture, conceptual style and design, trends and cinema made its fast mark on his musical ear. Different genres (from Nu Disco to Electro, New Wave, Rock and House music, with a hint of Pop too), with an eclectic and creative style which refuses the strict dogmas of technique, lead him to constantly look for new sounds. Co-organizer and artistic director of many prominent club nights in Florence (such as Colle Bereto, Angels and Doris), resident dj at the two most famous venues of Florence (Babylon Club and Krisko Club), Luca has periodically worked for Pinko (Fashion Brand) realizing mix-tapes, music and videos. He has been often called to play at the widely famous event “Pink is Punk” in Milan. He played as a supporter for relevant artists such as Digitalism, Justice, The Presets, Devendra Banharts, Ajello, In Flagranti, Severino (Horse Meat Disco), Crystal Fighters and Azari & III, Murphy Jax, Kim Ann Foxma, Sei A.

FRANCESCA BIAGINI Majored a the “Scuola Politecnica of Design” in Milan. She concentrates of graphic and visual communication. She also works with photography thanks to Chico De Luigi and has her own daily blog: borderonline.tumblr.com This blog combines graphic with photography creating new projects.

FRANCESCO BARONTI Francesco Baronti was born il Leghorn in 1973 to an italian father and a Puerto Rican mother. During his childhood he lived in Somalia with the family. This experience for him was a strong and important formative journey. He has partecipated in exhibitions and national and international competitions, in galleries in Puerto Rico, Rome, Florence, Pietrasanta, Verona, Capalbio, Nairobi and Malindi and at 54° Biennale di Venezia.He was invited to the 2°, 3° and $° editions of the Biennali di Malindi. “Art in Italy” has dedicated its magazine cover to him. Francesco lives between Italy, Africa and Puerto Rico.

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photography Martina Spagnoli

Strip-Project wants to propose a different way to reconsider each thing through the direct and spontaneous expression of the artists that were invitate to cooperate, write, photograph and partecipate with their artworks. It’s a visual/textual space where find the desire to change and escape. Is a great caotic container of ideas, images, inspirations, feelings and all you need to know. This is Strip-Book, an indipendent publication printed in limited edition of 100 copies. Strip-Book #1, We become what we see issue Publications, © 2014 Strip-Project.com Designed by Strip-Project.com. www.strip-project.com EDITORS-IN-CHIEF & CREATIVE DIRECTORS: anna ka Martina Spagnoli WEB DESIGNER: Antonino Giacalone

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PRESS: Cecilia Esposito

No part of this pubblication may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher. All reasonable efforts have been made to identify and contact copyright holder’s, but in some cases these could not be traced. CONTRIBUTORS: Francesca Biagini Manuela Martelli Matteo Razzaguta

CONTACT: info@strip-project.com press@strip-project.com