On August 3rd 2019, the mail art congress snap+share hosted by The Sticker Dude, John Held and others, will take place at San Francisco MOMA from 1:00 to 5:00 pm local time. On the same day, photos were taken first thing in the morning in the star shaped city of Palmanova (Italy) as a wave of good wish from Laura Cristin Sheren. The original portrait of Joel Cohen, made in 2016 as a memory of a jointed performance in Coney Island in 2012, was installed in the central niche of the square, just below a pennon flagging the Italian flag and on a water well that reminds the Ocean. Since the nine hours of time difference (Europe is farther ahead than California in this field!) the action is meant as a preview. Other correspondances will follow in coincidence with the Congress.
On the 3rd and /or 5th May, Sheren will be in Milan, for a impromptu in Piazza Duomo and/or in a shared garden of Isola, for a wave of good luck at the marriage of Kika and Antonello.
Saturday, May 11th , in Venice, on the occasion of the Biennale # 58 opening, at 1:00 pm Sheren will be with Peter Kuestermann along the Adria-side in front of Giardini, to re-create an a-mare to which to entrust our hopes and fears, and those of the refugees who have eventfully crossed the Mediterranean. From 16:00, the action will move to the 7th sestiere of Mestre, in via Cavallotti 83/B for “Checkpoint”, a parallel event of the Venice Biennale curated by Giancarlo and Giulia Da Lio.
The performances of Laura Cristin Sheren are also part of London Biennale 2019.
Life and love are multi-faceted diamonds where good and evil and a thousand other shades form a single pearl. The world of the Sirens, with its aquatic and earthly contradictions, bears witness to this. Sheren, who from a long time practiced that imaginary, with the arms and baggage of the art/life, in 2019 is particularly inspired, 200 years after its writing, by “e il naufragar m’è dolce in questo mare”, which concludes, with admirable and fluctuating opening, “L’Infinito” by Giacomo Leopardi.
That verse seems all right to be re-lived with engaging waves embracing memories, dreams and fears, personal and collective.
Full text/proposal. The first performance on the theme will be in MILAN, on the 3rd and/or 5th May (piazza Duomo and/or shared garden of Isola) for the marriage of Kika and Antonello, with the unfolding of an auspicious free wave that will flag and wrap without forcing.
The following Saturday, which is May 11th and coincides with the Biennale #58 opening, Sheren will decline Leopardi’s verse in VENICE: at 13:00, along the Adria-side in front of Giardini. Then the action will move to “Checkpoint”, parallel event of 7° sestiere, care of Giancarlo and Giulia Da Lio, in Mestre, via Cavallotti 83/B, from 16:00. Together with Peter Kuestermann and the (mail) artists or passers by wishing to participate, a bridge will be created , with the hopes and fears of those who eventfully have crossed the Mediterranean. It will give the chance to recite a ‘de profundis’ of the value of the Western civilization (?) buried in the sea-cemetery together with the castaways who did not make it, but also a small attempt to restore a bit of humanity in consciences.
Peter Kuestermann will bring the messages-in-the-bottles entrusted to him by refugees in Germany who have managed to save (at least physically) their lives and now wishing to leave their thoughts to the big sea of love that has not swallowed them.
In the re-created waves, everyone can immerse themselves, reflect and deliver to the sea, even only a yearning for hope. For those who prefer the ancient art of writing, Sheren will provide ‘blank messages’ to be completed and put into bottles collected around the world, which will be returned in the five continents.
P.S. The performance of Laura Cristin Sheren are also part of London Biennale 2019.
Clockwise: a long/involving wave for Field Study Gathering at Tate Britain 5JAN2019; installation “memORiA di Sheren” in Pinacoteca of Gaeta; another picture from A MARE in London; card for London Biennale 2019; images from “Myself box” for microbo.net of Milan; further picture of A MARE involving Nat Fonnesu
Clockwise: 13: sentimental B.day installation with mailart received from Joel Cohen; 14: Natalia receiving from my mum the diary of my grandma Angela at ADN of Pieve Santo Stefano (Arezzo) – incidentally, Fumis Angela was born on 10 June and died on 17 June 1968 – ; 15: standing at the entrance of the Archive of Diaries; 14: donation of my (art)diaries LC (also containing CG) and ST to Archivio Diaristico Nazionale – incidentally ST that stands for Standards (Tarot paintings) can also stand for Saverio Tutino who founded the Archive and ‘created’ the myth of Che Guevara (born on 14 June) in Italy – ; 27: with Sticker Dude Banana Cake (new receipe) in connection with the reunion of Grateful Dead in Santa Clara (California); 21 (12:07 Summer Solstice): attending the meeting “tra pari” at CSM of Parco Basaglia in Gorizia.
The birthday is always a special day. In one way or another, it makes the chance to retrace the-not-only-my-time of life. Celebrating the memorable date of mid-June with relatives and/or friends is a must. Other remarkable events of art/life this months:
– in Siracusa (Sicily), from the 5th to the end of June, at the Art Gymnasium Gagini, I take part in the mailart exhibition “Io e la Bellezza” (curator Lidia Pizzo for Aretè, Centrum Latinitatis Europae) with “Masks and murals for Trinacria” and the artistbook “Revolt for Beauty” remake of “Re-vault for Goliarda Sapienza 2016 “.
– From June 17 to August 10, I participate in the “First International Biennial of Postal Art in Venice” curated by Ruggero Maggi at Palazzo Zenobio, with the collage “CorresponDANCE 2017 for the Dalai Lama and Tibet”.
– Starting with my B.day “LOOKing forwards” action begins. I will distribute the stickers with the reproduction of the portrait made to Joel Cohen, that the artist sent me from New York in sign of gratitude and in a number corresponding to the years of my life.
The 10th May 2017 was a bEAUtiful day at Biennale Venezia. First step, was the not-so-ephemeral installation of the sticker of Joel Cohen with his portrait, second one, attending/being involved in David Medalla and Adam Nankervis performance for the 15th anniversary of their Mondrian Fan Club, last but not least, remembering the impromptu of January 2008 with Dorothea Fayne and Dario Della Rossa, through a snap of “Totem 2004-2008-2017” next to the “Paradise” by Bosch in Palazzo Ducale. Meeting – one way or another – old and new friends is wonderful!
Facebook open album at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1506744286011266.1073741834.100000271265514&type=1&l=fd40352fab
Two videos, currently taking part in Magmart video festival are now online at these links:
“Healing in Rome” https://youtu.be/24ICAlVTiew
“Re-act and Re-vault” https://youtu.be/UxlRExtYgA0
More to be added shortly in the “Works” section.