CENTRO STUDI GIOVANILE ERMES
COMUNE DI SABBIONETA
With the patronage of REGION LOMBARDIA
PLEASE ME FASHION
FLUCTUATIONS BETWEEN ART AND FASHION
Sabbioneta, Palazzo Ducale
6th June / 18th July 2010
Official Exhibition Opening: 5th June at 18.30
Opening time: 9.30-12.30 am 2.30-6.30 pm- monday close
Works by
Carlotta Actis Barone, Elvezia Allari, Marloes ten Bhömer, Benedetta Bonichi,
Sandra Bordin, Silvia Bordin, Paolo Cassarà, Nick Cave, Roberta Chioni, Antonella Cinelli, Girolamo Ciulla, Daniela Comani, Corpicrudi, Caterina Crepax, Corrado Dalcò,
Miky Degni, Moria De Zen, Louisa Dvorak, Elmerald, Elisabetta Farina, Matteo Farolfi, Marina Fedorova, Sandro Ferrone, Massimo Festi, Silvia Fiorentino, Fabio Fornasari,
Anna Fracassi, Francesca Gagliardi, Marina Gasparini, Massimo Giacon, Tea Giobbio, Grethel, Zoè Gruni, Susanna Hesselberg, Faiyaz Jafri, Knotan, Oskar Kogoj,
Gabriele Lamberti, Gianmarco Lorenzi, Saša Makarová, Franco Matticchio,
Fernanda Moneta, Gaetano Muratore, Jum Nakao, Barbara Pelizzon, Piero Perfetto, Mariuccia Pisani, Klaus Pobitzer, Gianni Renzi, Jeannette Rütsche, Paul Schietekat, Antonello Silverini, Barbara Taboni, Cosimo Terlizzi, Giovanna Torresin, Vittorio Valente,
Aleksandra Zaharova & Ilya Plotnikov, Andrea Zago, Chiara Zanetti, Dania Zanotto
Curated by
Isabella Falbo, Ferruccio Giromini, Roberto Roda
With the collaboration of
Marcello Pecchioli
And the coordination of
Matteo Fazzi
Fashion: cross and delight of the daily life, not only the feminine one.
Fashion: subject and cultural object in the history and in the society, mainly nowadays
Fashion: Hell and Heaven of the artistic look, especially of the contemporary one
Fashion: beauty and provocation, always
The exhibition proposes a narration of the relationship between Art and Fashion, highlighting an artistic panorama whereby the most innovative tendencies seem to be inspired by convergence philosophy, by contamination or multimedia creativity.
Over the last ten years Art and Fashion have seemed to become more and more connected, up to the point where new unifying statutes were outlined. Although, whereas Art went down the route in search of approved criterion, Fashion regularly renewed and re-invented itself, transforming itself into a ‘Cultural Object’ and “Cultural code”. Today, Fashion has become a vessel of the ‘present’, mirroring the change and consecration of new cultural forms.
Installations, Clothes-Sculptures, Photographs, Videos, Paintings, Cultural Objects: artworks by sixty artists italian and international – from Austria to the United States, from Sweden to Russia, from Belgium to Brasil – compose an amazing landscape where Art and Fashion convert and overlap.
PLEASE ME FASHION unravels around 5 large themed sections, in the very suggestive space that is the Palazzo Ducale in Sabbioneta, occupying the spacious areas on both floors.
DE LUXE: Sins and expiations
FASHION NOVELS: The dressed story
DE SADE’S TAILORS: Vanity’s hells
FASHION INTELLECTUALS: Hibrid art fantasies
FASHIONABLE TECH: Beyond fashion and towards the future
The first section DE LUXE: SINS AND EXPIATIONS offers the visitor an easy-going artistic observation of the luxury branding and its chameleon-like ability through artistic creativity.
The section VANITY’S HELL: DE SADE’S TAILORS reflects on the constricting component of Fashion, mocking the limits of ergonomics and common sense. Art and Fashion seem to want to take each other by the hand and support one another, in order to try to find the courage to enter into those somewhat bizarre universes, which have fascinated and attracted the surrealists.
The renowned popular expression, ‘one must suffer to be beautiful’ was recently re-launched with a brand of luxury footwear by the absolute king of sky-high stilettos, Gianmarco Lorenzi, with the slogan “ women would go to hell in stilettos rather than to paradise in flat shoes”. In De Sade’s Tailors, it is the extreme fashion to triumph: Art and Fashion cling to one and another to tell the tale, of course, with much satisfaction, of laymen, of the conceited and of the magnificently torturous “de luxe”.
FASHION NOVELS. Photography has always been a servant of fashion, but it has recently also played a part in a strange phenomena.The most acclaimed magazines in the fashion industry are filled with a series of images which are often impalpable, whereby the piece of clothing does not need to be vividly depicted and where conceptual experimentation often conquests, no differently from that which is analogue “outer beauty”, appears on the Art gallery’s walls.
Art and Fashion, in these photographic emerging and explosive international level productions, are chasing one and another generating a cultural short-circuit of huge fascination, and yet, are still capable of provoking social questions.
FASHION INTELLECTUALS. HIBRID ART FANTASIES: Today Fashion, liberated from the mounting weight of codes and traditional symbols, interweaves itself together with the most experimental of Visual Art, thus acquiring a new status of "cultural object". Visual Arts, in turn interweave themselves together with Fashion Design, thus successively creating further cultural objects, fascinating yet improbable which pile on praise to the world of Fashion.
Hence a universe in which borders are trespassed and broken down, in which metamorphosis triumphs together with hybridization, conceptual lucubration, crossmedia and intertextual dialogism. Everything, at anytime, may unexpectedly mutate and change form: for example, clothes may suddenly become intangible paper creations, or be absorbed by paralyzing resin and take on a sculpture format. There is no longer room, today, for daily banal gestures such as dressing oneself, which risk slipping out of our everyday routines and move towards becoming performances and Video Art, etc.
The section on FASHIONABLE TECH. BEYOND FASHION AND TOWARDS THE FUTURE: foresees a simulation of the future where Fashion Style is a strategic component to aid imagination of the cosmopolitan and technological milieu that awaits us.
This section describes what could or may happen in a few years time and allows us to imagine, by way of intuitions and suggestions which originate from certain technologically Contemporary Artists, a Fashion system which is widely creolized.
The exhibition has not been thought up as collective type exhibition, but more of a thematic event, in which the works of Art are read by and presented to the public with scientific disciplinary instruments rendered relevant in terms of their popularization.
This, therefore means, that it is not just about locating a subject as an excuse to present at random a group of artists, which unfortunately often takes place all too frequently nowadays in Contemporary Art.
The thematic exhibition advances and broadens into(with the necessary tools of critics, of Art Anthropology, of Art History and Mentality) the selected subject.
It does this by defining the sections, which, like the chapters of a book, penetrate and investigate the theme according to the different viewpoints and particularities.
The story of the sections is formed of the works of Art which are pre-selected for their strong suitability and fit in perfectly with the developing themes. This means that the chosen works are always an expression and demonstration of a high creative excellence, in both cases of whether the artist is emerging or already well established on the circuit.
It is this perfect mix of emerging and well-established National and International level artists that allow this exhibiting event to guarantee creativity amongst the youth and at the same time create new "trends ".
The thematic development is actually thought out with rigorous regulation, which, however, does not mean that the installations are not strongly "light and bright" for the joy of the awaiting visitors: as an Contemporary Art exhibition must make one think and reflect, but more importantly make one delight.
The presence of established names amongst the array of chosen artists indicates and confirms the importance of the event, giving it the value it deserves. This value is not destined to exhaust itself within the festival space, as the catalogue has not been designed as a fleetingly ephemeral guide. It is capable of withstanding the tests of time as an important point of reference for the many who will, in the coming future, return again and again to discuss the topic.
PLEASE ME FASHION. FLUCTUATIONS BETWEEN ART AND FASHION
Sabbioneta, Palazzo Ducale
6th June / 18th July 2010
Official Exhibition Opening: 5th June at 18.30
Opening time: 9.30-12.30 am 2.30-6.30 pm- monday close
Curators
Isabella Falbo, Ferruccio Giromini, Roberto Roda
Exhibition Catalogue: Editoriale Sometti Publishing House, Mantova.
21x17 cm, around 200 pages, over 150 colour images, with an essay by Isabella Falbo and text by Ferruccio Giromini, Marcello Pecchioli, Roberto Roda
Promoting Organization: Centro Studi Giovanile ERMES, Sabbioneta
Organization, Event Direction and Administration: Centro Studi Giovanile ERMES:
Matteo Fazzi
Luca Pirino
Attilio Lodi Rizzini
Collaborating Organization: Sabbioneta Town Council
The Exhibition will take place within the SABBIONETA ART FESTIVAL: Themes, Trends and Tendencies and new generations of Contemporary Art, 5th June -18th July 2010, organized by Centro Studi Giovanile ERMES, directed by Matteo Fazzi.Sabbioneta,
Sponsor: Calchera San Giorgio, Grigno TN; Fallini Formaggi srl, Gattatico RE; Ballarini SpA, Rivarolo Mantovano MN; Graepel Italiana SpA, Sabbioneta MN; L’Artigiana di Giovanni Cavalli, Sustinente MN; Gambino Industrie Alimentari SpA, Carini PA; Panguaneta SpA, Sabbioneta MN e altri.
Per informazioni: Kjo Comunicazione, tel. 339.4573803, email HYPERLINK "mailto:claudiarumi@kjo.it" \n _blankclaudiarumi@kjo.it
About the curators
Isabella Falbo, born in Fidenza in 1974. She is a free-lance art Critic and Curator with a particular interest in emerging artists marked by experimental approaches and research. Her curating practice mainly pertains to dialogue between the various artistic fields. She has curated both personal and collective exhibitions and has collaborated as a Curator for both public and private galleries (amongst which: the Town Council of Ferrara, The National Photography Observatory, the Cento Modern Art Gallery "A. Bonzagni, the Ca' La Ghironda Museum in the province of Bologna, Artefiera, Bologna).
She was the Intern Assistant Curator for the Oxford Modern Art Museum, Assistant Curator for the Prague Biennale 2 and for the magazine "Flash Art", Curator for the exhibiting space of the Orfeo Hotel Contemporary Art Project in Bologna.
In 2008 she presented "Utopia and Urban Fringes in Contemporary Artistic Notions - Utopie e periferie urbane nell’immaginario artistico contemporaneo” within the festival-project on "Contemporary Cities between Utopia and Memories - la città contemporanea tra utopia e memoria "- promoted by the Trento Town Council.
She is a researcher of the relationship between Art and Fashion, she was a speaker at the International Conference "Critical Fashion / Ethical Fashion" promoted by the Milan Cattolica University in 2009.
She currently lives in Bologna.
Ferruccio Giromini, born in Genova in 1954. A journalist since 1978, he is specialized in Image Critique and Visual Communication, he has also tried his hand at Screen Writing, Illustrator, Photographer and Television Director.
He has exhibited his personal works of Art in various exhibitions and in 1980 at the Venezia Biennale.
As an Editorial consultant, he directs a series of books, CD-Roms, Videos and Periodicals for assorted Publishers.
He holds Courses and Workshops for both public and private scholastic institutes, amongst which, an on-going collaboration with The Milan European Institute of Design.
Until today, he has curated and presented nearly 400 exhibitions and Illustration events, such as Comics, Photography, Animation Cinema and Contemporary Visual Art all over Italy and around the world and he has taken part on over 80 judging boards and on various occasions was given the honoured task of President of these.
Since 1982, he has been an Artistic Consultant for many varying events: The Andersen -Baia Award for FairyTales of Sesto Levante-Premio Andersen-Baia delle Favole di Sestri Levante, The International "Babel" Comics Festival in Athens-Festival Internazionale Comics "Babel" di Atene, and the Talking Clouds Festival. Comic Strip on Stage in Genova- Festival Nuvole parlanti. Fumetto in palcoscenico di Genova, the Sea World Festival in Liguria -Mondo Mare Festival in Liguria, The Genova SUQ Festival- Festival Suq di Genova.
For several years, he collaborated as a director for the International Exhibition for Animation Cinema Cartoombria in Perugia. Since 2007 he has been the Artistic Director for the Award "Sergio Fedrani" in Genova- and for the 2008/2009 he was the director for the Festival The Fantastic Shores of Portofino- Fantastiche Terre di Portofino in Liguria. He is currently the co-director of the Skiaffino Award- Premio Skiaffino of Camogli.
Roberto Roda: Born in Ferrara in 1953. He is an Ethnographer and keen student of Art Anthropology.
He is an Author and Photography Historian, Curator for important exhibiting events and museum projects for Public Organizations and Cultural Institutions on a National and International level.
Since 1982, he has continuously promoted the exhibiting activities of the Ethnographic Centre for Ferrara Town Council. During the later half of the Eighties, he was one of the founding collaborators to direct the Ferrara Cini Institute. From 1982 to 1992, he was in charge of managing the Historical Documentation Archives of Ferrara Town Council.
In the course of the Nineties, just to mention a few, he collaborated with various governing bodies and important museums for the Republic of Slovenia, launched the project "Carnevale Grande" of the area Foiano della Chiana in the region of Arezzo and directed the exhibiting activities and museum collections of the Mesola and Delta del Po Castle.
Throughout the year 2000, he curated and organized exhibiting activities for the Bondeno Modern Art Gallery "G. Cattabriga" in the upper Ferrara area and projected the Revere Fontinalia Museum.
He is the Curator and Author of important exhibitions and volumes on anthropological themes, Photographs and Artists, to name a few:
Following in the footsteps of Orlando. Legends and Carolingian Landmarks in Italy-Sulle orme d’Orlando. Leggende e luoghi carolingi in Italia (con Anna Imelde Galletti, Padova, 1986), Gulliver's Delta. Representing the Territory- Il Delta di Gulliver. La Rappresentazione del territorio (Ferrara, 1996), Heroines, Witches and Anguanas. Water legends and the metamorphosis of the Po river to the Neretva - Eroine, streghe e anguane. Leggende d’acqua e di Metamorfosi dal Po alla Neretva (con Alberto Lisi, Bologna, 2000), Nymphs and Anguans lived in the Forests and Fountains. The fantastical creatures of the waters and nature: artistic journeys between the 9th and 10th century- Ninfe e anguane abitavan i boschi e le fontane. Le creature fantastiche delle acque e della natura: percorsi artistici fra ‘800 e ‘900 (con Emanuele Bardazzi, Bologna, 2000), Bodies & Bodies. Trends and contamination in Female Photography-Corpi & corpi. Tendenze e contaminazioni nella fotografia femminile (Mantova , 2001), Geography and Cultural landscapes in Italian Contmeporary Photography- Geografie e paesaggi culturali nella fotografia italiana contemporanea (Mantova, 2002), The Rhetorics of Eros- Le retoriche di Eros. (con Ferruccio Giromini, Mantova, 2004), The years that undressed Italy. Temptations and paper desires 1962-1973- Gli anni che svestirono l’Italia. Tentazioni e desideri di carta 1962-1973 (con Ferruccio Giromini, Mantova 2004), Nudity in photography and the dream of painting of the Digital Academy- Il nudo fotografato e il sogno della pittura dall’Accademia al digitale (Mantova, 2004), Bosom Warrior. Images of the Amazons, the myth of the armed woman. -Seno guerriero. Il mito dell’amazzone, l’immagine della donna in armi (con Ferruccio Giromini, Mantova, 2005), Inheriting Symbolism. Mythology, Ethnography, Exoterism - Eredità del Simbolismo. Mitolologie, etnografie, esoterismi (Mantova 2007)
He currently lives in Ferrara.
Marcello Pecchioli, born in Spoleto in 1954. A Cinematographic and Multimedia Critic, Video Maker and Artist with teaching positions at the important Universities of Bologna and Ferrara, he is the series Curator for the Milan Publishing house Costa& Nolan.
He is particularly interested in visual systems and language of the New Media, he has been involved in various projects on video games, virtual realities, narrative systems, audiovisuals and hypertexts and neo-television.
He has promoted and directed various groups of research and artistic production, amongst which the Gruppo K@os and more recently The Agency.
He is a member of the International group Ars Technica. Just to name some of his pubblications: Cronenberg Effect - Effetto Cronenberg (Pendragon,1995), Aids and Media - Aids e Media (Koiné, 1995), Scanning. Navigation Systems in the 20th Century - Scansioni. Sistemi di navigazione nell’arte del XX secolo (Costa & Nolan, 2000).
He currently lives in Bologna.