Laura Cristin




LaCura for ‘Xmas 2018

Category : exhibitions, performance, mailart, around the world Dec 19th, 2018


Exactly one month before Christmas a group of friends-artists-and-not wishing to share their humanity and their art/life, met in Laura Cristin’s studio in Bagnaria Arsa, not far from the star shaped city of Palmanova. Early in the afternoon “LaCura”was performed, in the homonymous track composed by Dario Della Rossa for “Healing in London” at the Kingsley Hall (9th September 2017 for Loonies Fest).
“LaCura” is dedicated to Franco Basaglia, Letizia Comba, Angela Fumis and Tiziana Baracchi and to the many who passed away/were not physically present but are still in our heART. Their presence was tangible in the gratitude of the ones who have had the privilege to share part of their journay in life with them.
Video by Maurizio Follin.

Let’s meet at Sheren’s

Category : exhibitions, performance, mailart Oct 30th, 2018

A MARE in gARTen LCconCopyrightSITO
On Sunday 25th November 2018, from 11:00 am till 6:00 pm, Laura Cristin, in collaboration with Giancarlo Da Lio, will open her house/studio (gARTen included) in Bagnaria Arsa, not far from the star shaped city of Palmanova.
It’s all about joy and urgency of a meeting, mostly LIVE, where friends-artists-and-not can share their experiences and humanity. As for art, there will be an hour or more early in the afternoon, devoted to that. Laura Cristin as the host will start with “LaCura” from the homonymous track composed by Dario Della Rossa for “Healing in London” (Kingsley Hall 2017). It’s the chance to be in a participatory performance, fully immersed in the enchantment of Sheren and to practice the different WAVes of Love. Maurizio Follin will continue tracing one of his Way (Via). Whoever wishing so, will be able to contribute.
The spirit and encouragment of the passed-away listed below, with whom we had the privilege to share part of our journay in life, will be the heART of the party.

“incontriAMOci” (Let’s meet at Sheren’s) is dedicated to: Franco Basaglia, Letizia Comba, Angela Fumis and Tiziana Baracchi.

List of participants (in progress): Laura Cristin, Enzo Paviotti, Giancarlo Da Lio, Terry Cazzaro, Levis Cortese, Maurizio Follin, Gabriella Gallo, Maria Teresa Fernandez, Patrizia, Mariangela, Anna, Alessandro, Francesca and more.

En/chantment by Sheren at Synesthesia of Mondolfo

Category : performance, around the world Jul 29th, 2018

"Nascita di Venere..1484 è 2018", cm 9,5x25,5 was painted by Laura Cristin in February 2018 on a little board - rescued from the wood-shed - that had served to test the marine colours (in the Nineties) for bigger paintings. The self-portrait on the left is taken from a photo of the performance "Healing in London" at   the Kingsley Hall (September 2017) set in the atmosphere of the birth of Venus painted by Botticelli in 1484.

“Nascita di Venere..1484 è 2018”, cm 9,5×25,5 was painted by Laura Cristin in February 2018 on a little board – rescued from the wood-shed – that had served to test the marine colours (in the Nineties) for bigger paintings. The self-portrait on the left is taken from a photo of the performance “Healing in London” at the Kingsley Hall (September 2017) set in the atmosphere of the birth of Venus painted by Botticelli in 1484.


On Friday, August 3rd, at Synesthesia Festival in Mondolfo (PU), la Notte Bianca will take place from 7 pm till 2 am. Sheren will recreate a living and participatory installation starting with a metaphorical sea as an open space to navigate in the waves of Love. Starting from the sunset, Sheren’s fluctuating and collaborative presence/installation will take shape and life. One can contribute to the en/chantment by shaking, for example, sachets of sugar like sticks-of-rain, wetting the feet, sharing something Sherenesque or in other sensitive ways suggested by free imagination. At times, SherenaDa (in mp3) by Dario Della Rossa will help along with other tracks on the same wavelengths.
Full program at https://www.facebook.com/events/478116239283620/497590010669576/?notif_t=admin_plan_mall_activity&notif_id=1532674390234530

Around Magic June 2018

Category : performance, mailart, around the world Jul 1st, 2018

Clockwise: 13: sentimental  B.day installation with mailart received from Joel Cohen, ATCard “Sheren in New York 15 June 2012” in the centre; 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): attending the meeting “tra pari” at CSM of Parco Basaglia in Gorizia.

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.


In 2018 many anniversaries occur, such as the 40th from Basaglia’s law #180 (May 1978) and of my marriage (February 1978), the 50th from my trip to Bandiera Gialla (January 1968) in Rome with the psychologist Letizia Comba. This June, special coincidances took place around my B.day. The above card can reveal/explain more. Though, the core of it is only detectable by heART!

The Tarot Room for “Le Stanze delle Meraviglie” in Verbania

Category : exhibitions, performance, around the world Mar 19th, 2018

Clockwise: “LoveS” VI standard 2009,  “Wonderbookcase” oil on glass 1987, detail of velella in ensign XII “(la) vie” 2015, page from the diary “Memorie di Fumis Angela 1914-'16”.

Clockwise: “LoveS” VI standard 2009, “Wonderbookcase” oil on glass 1987, detail of velella in ensign XII “(la) vie” 2015, page from the diary “Memorie di Fumis Angela 1914-’16”.


From 10 to 15 April 2018, in Verbania, at Villa Giulia, on the lakeside of Pallanza, there will be the third week of “Le Stanze delle Meraviglie Wunderkammern”. The event is curated by Marisa Cortese for the association Siviera, with the patronage of the Municipality.
The “Stanza dei Tarocchi come tra-s-formazione” is a contribution of mine for Room number 12, set up in the corridor of the first floor.
Vernissage : Tuesday, April 10th at 5:30 pm
Visiting hours of all the exhibitions: every day from 3 to 7 pm
Talk-participatory-performance about the Tarots: Thursday April 12th, from 5 to 6 pm, in the hall of the reception room.

THE TAROT ROOM. A selection of Tarot ensigns manufactured since 2004, will be exhibited. These are painted on (disposable) blue textile, with the primal intent to fix the emotions felt during the performances as Sheren. Similar to the scroll paintings of the Tibetan tangka, in the end, they have turned to be mostly, pages from a diary of my art/life. With the attempt to give a temporary order to the turmoil of the soul, each of the Arcana has been re-invented with free spirit and a pinch of irreverence. In handmaking them, never I felt obliged to start from the Tarot # 1, nor to plan to complete the series of 22. The whole path of ensigns/standars so far produced, appear to me as a sort of roadmap to enlightment. The selection chosen for Verbania reveals neverending transformations from chrysalis to butterfly (VI “LoveS”, IX, XV and XVIII of the Irish triptych, in particular). It recalls sea voyages among the dolphins and the velelle velelle coming from the Ocean to the Mediterranean. If beached, the latter – aka “By the Wind Sailors” – dye the shores in blue. A velella – recreated in white organza – rests on Standard XII, renamed “(la) vie”, which is the remake of an optical color changer used during the Great War to communicate in Morse, where there was no electricity.These revisited Arcana speak of the attitude of “looking at the sky, feet on the ground”, reminding of journeys in the past times, that the full immersion in the dimension of heART makes us feel still close.

TALK-PARTICIPATORY-PERFORMANCE. On the occasion of the interactive meeting of Thursday, April 12 (17-18 pm), the Tarot ensigns of Room 12 will be temporarly moved in the hall of the reception. Before any talk about them, the Standards will be re-lived, re-animated and re-discovered with those who will like to take part. An original karaoke with the Music composed by Dario Della Rossa will occur. Guest of honor: the original DIARY “Memorie di Fumis Angela 1914-16”. My grandmother wrote it in “… Intra e Pallanza due belle cittadelle… ” as a refugee from Staranzano, North East of Italy. Soon the original diary will be donated to Archivio Diaristico Nazionale of Pieve Santo Stefano (AR).
Beside, some significative and inspirational objects met along the Tarot way – such as the rain stick or the EVA Mariposa butterfly – will attend the meeting.

Books of “Memorie di Fumis Angela” will also be available (transcribed and printed in 2016, online edition http://memoriediangela.alicepaviotti.com), as well as some artist books “ST”, featuring my diary/memoir 2017 about the Tarots as STandards and ways of tran-s-formation.

… and the story goes on

ST ‘Xmas & N. Y. 2018

Category : exhibitions, performance Dec 23rd, 2017

Presentation case of ST:  20 Tarot cards (little image on the envelope: photo from the performance “Healing in LDN” at the Kingsley Hall, 9 September 2017) and a book-memoir in Italian

Presentation case of ST: 20 Tarot cards (little image on the envelope: photo from the performance “Healing in LDN” at the Kingsley Hall, 9 September 2017) and a book-memoir in Italian


Best wishes for a SainT Christmas and happy New Year 2018 from the latest piece of art/life: a memoir of Tarots as Standards, travelling allographies, ways of tran-s-formation, still long-playing in my he-art! The book was made in 3 copies, in Italian, fully accessorized with 20 cards of the ensigns so far produced.

“Healing in London” in/around Loonies Fest 2017

Category : exhibitions, performance, around the world Sep 1st, 2017
“go-cart VCE-LDN”, alias VII Tarot. Clockwise: “ShirEn on gondola” and “looking from pink curtains” masks made in 2003,  disc OB-LA-DI'-OB-LA-DA' revisited 1968-2016, “il terapeuta..1962è2017” and “Totem 2004-2008-2017” acrylic on wood 2017, textile panel in jeans and tulle. At the side, details of the ensign.

“go-cart VCE-LDN”, alias VII Tarot. Clockwise: “ShirEn on gondola” and “looking from pink curtains” masks made in 2003, disc OB-LA-DI’-OB-LA-DA’ revisited 1968-2016, “il terapeuta..1962è2017” and “Totem 2004-2008-2017” acrylic on wood 2017, textile panel in jeans and tulle. At the side, details of the ensign.

In September 2017 I will be in London, at the LOONIES FEST – Creating Healing Lunacy – in Kingsley Hall. The one day event of Saturday 9th (10am-10pm) includes Exhibitions, Performances, Poetry and a panel discussions.

The Private View for the “Survivors Stories”, a visual art group exhibition, is on Tuesday 5th (5-7pm), finissage on 19 th September. The Fest is run by FEEL (Friends of East End Loonies) and it is about mental health from the point of view of those who are often silenced by the system. Web page and full program at http://friends-of-east-end-loonies.blogspot.it/p/loonies-fest.html
Kingsley Hall Community Centre, Powis Rd, London E3 3HJ

My participations at the Fest, from the 5th to the finissage of 19th September relate to the frequentation, together with my family, to the Asylum in Gorizia (Italy) during Basaglia’s years (1962-72), ‘important imprinting’ of freedom for the courses of my art/life. The Fest offers a precious opportunity to go on with the ‘recovery tour’ started last year in Rome; a chance to immerse my autobiography in meaningful stories and places, so that to bring out something that can be shared and further developed.

The textile panel “go-cart VCE-LDN” will be shown in the Survivors Stories. It refers to the 7 th card of the Tarots, that deals with the body of the anima helping us in the human achievements. My work displays 2 gondola (masks) in place of the traditional Arcana #VII’s war-chariot. Basaglia – The Man who closed the Asylum (crf. J. Foot, Verso 2015) – was from Venice. San Clemente Asylum, closed in 1980, was also in its laguna. The disc OB-LA- DI, OB-LA-DA revisited 1968-2016 has to do with London and the Beatles and with the psychologist Letizia Comba, scholar of A. D. Laing. The painting “il terapeuta..1962è2017” included in the ensign, highlights the role of music.

“Healing in London” will be performed at the Loonies Fest on the afternoon Saturday 9th.
A panel discussion on the theme of the benefits and importance of the Arts as Healing Mediums will follow.
My action is a belated ‘thank you’ to Letizia Comba (1932-2000), psychologist in Basaglia’s team. As a teenager in difficulty, fifty years ago, I was “handed” to her care. She explored brand new ways to help me, with personal involvement/responsability, also accompaning me to Rome to attend “Bandiera Gialla” pop song radio program. Later I realized how precious have been the seeds received. I felt the task to guard them carefully and to cultivate them so that they had blossomed and fructified at the right time. Love can heal, can be a wave that caress, cuddle and support us. The action will re-create not-only- metaphorical-waves of memories in the original music composed by Dario Della Rossa. The gratitude is also for the many that donate their humanity and live through the daily practice of love, passion and freedom.

Last but not least, in and around Loonies Fest in London, I will fully explore the beauty and strenght of human relations, with old and new friend-artists, such as Dawn Redwood at aardverx. This fortnight 5-19 September will also serve for a fully immersion in U.K.’s mental health policies, comparing the state of the arts to the Italian ones.

57 Biennale Venezia

Category : exhibitions, performance, mailart May 20th, 2017

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.

Back to painting and videos

Category : performance Mar 22nd, 2017

After a while, I went back to colours and brushes. The result is a “TRIP_tych 2008” consisting in a composition of three paintings about art actions that occurred nine years ago in Venice, San Daniele del Friuli and in the gARTen of my house. Find the image at this link:http://www.artwanted.com/imageview.cfm?id=1448373
The bigger piece (“Totem”) can also be considered an homage to Bosch’s “The Souls Ascending the Empyrean”. Last year I made a collage about it, but transforming it in a painting was just another thing! Have a look at the previous collage at http://www.artwanted.com/imageview.cfm?ID=1404714
Then the time came to edit the videos of the two main performances of 2016: “HEALing in Rome” (2nd May at London Biennale opening) and “ReACT and Revault” (30th August in Gaeta). Now both take part in the tenth edition of Magmart video festival. Synopsis can be found at this links:http://www.magmart.it/videos.php?i=3087 and http://www.magmart.it/fullvideo.php?i=3100

“Selfie to self-expression” for Saatchi

Category : exhibitions, performance Feb 14th, 2017

http://www.saatchigallery.com/selfie/artist.php?id=1790
On the Day of Saint Valentine, I had completed my submission to Saatchi gallery of London contest “Selfie to self-expression”. I already developed the theme in the Works section in the project “Self portrait”. This time, I had searched into the meaning of that practice, that one way or another, is keeping me busy mostly, along journeys of many kinds. Here are the titles of the photos that you can reach on the link above: “full immersion in the colour of my eyes” (Oceanarium of Valencia, 27 January 2017), “(paper) boat trip from Venice railway station” (impromptu “Isonzo S_core” on 9 October 2010), “Selfie as Sheren in Naples” (Napoli Centrale railway station on 2nd September 2016), “in the sweet heART of Florence” (in a confectionery shop window on 11 November 2011), “in the (Chinese) zodiac as wooden Horse Yang in Padua” (at the Museo del Precinema on 19 March 2014), “the LIGHT of my heart!” (as documenting the new striped curtain and the sacre of the intimacy in Bagnaria Arsa on 4 May 2012).