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Meeting Ryosuke Cohen in Florence
16 September 2014, Florence in Italy: it was a unique and wonderful opportunity to meet Ryosuke Cohen, his art, new friends at circolo degli artisti casa di Dante, among masterpieces of the past. Everything and everybody, the situation was just “perfect”, the collaboration, wishing to understand/catch as much as possible from the situation. Ryosuke shown us unexpected sides of Japan and art and humanity.
clockwise from bottom left: 1) still frame from the video of the performance “Sherena Velella” in Ponza LT, 2) Sherena Velella with Ponza harbour, 3) “Birth of Venus” by Botticelli at Uffizi, 4) Noriko Shimizu, Gianni Broi, Ryosuke Cohen, Laura Cristin outside Casa di Dante in Florence on September 16th, 5) Ryosuke at work, 6) detail of Tarots’ ensign 2 “ear_th”, 2010, 7) performance at “Lo Stracquo”, September 14th, 2014, 8) silhouette portrait of Laura Cristin by Ryosuke Cohen, 2009
From my maritime diary:
On Tuesday, September 16th, 2014, late in a sunny morning, wearing my favourite azure silk dress, Florence was on my way. The origin of my journey was the island of Ponza, in the very center of Mediterranean, where I had performed “Sherena Velella” at the finissage of an exhibition. A not so easy travel – by ship, bus, delayed trains and a final yellow taxi had conducted me to Dante’s house. There, along with my two pieces of heavy luggage, I was promptly hearty welcome. Instantly I felt at ease and started to get acquainted with the president of the circolo Lella Marchini and those present, waiting for Gianni Broi (the curator) and Ryosuke with Noriko (his wife) to turn up. The room was/is beautiful, with all the portraits/paintings of “macchiaioli” hanged on the main walls and one could have felt (I did) a bit overwhelmed by the history. Ryosuke Cohen was not new to me, I had met him in Minden, Germany in 2009 and on that occasion he already made a silhouette portrait on one of his brain cell sheets he is known for. These are collages of stamps, stickers, whatever comes from the network and that are chosen/selected by the artist to express a sort of inside essence of what’s going on worldwide. After a while, Gianni arrived. As we were all busy/worried about contacting Ryosuke, at some point, around midday, he magically materializated with his wife at the entrance. He looked radiant and calm, happy to be in Florence (for the first time, as he explained later). The interview was difficult every now and then because both parts had to communicate in a foreign language. Though, the practical part fully explained the core of his work. He sketched the profile of the presents, one by one. Noriko took pictures, that he could refer to for completing the portraits. Gianni was busy in collaging the frame of the honorary citizenship that he had prepared and also adjusting/reducing the size of the poster to fit the drawings’ briefcase I suggested to stick on the back of the big parchment, a significant piece of Gianni’s mail art (a green rectangle with a little mole asking “ what’s the magic formula?”) that Ryosuke had included in brain cell # 147 sent in 1985 for a mail art exhibition at Uffizi in Florence. The mole seemed happy to continue her journey to Japan!
“Birth of Venus” by Botticelli, emerging from the foam of Mediterranean Sea was on my mind, from time to time. Though, the “real” sonorous hair I had used in Ponza, and other proper performance stuff could remain in the luggage. During the meeting a real and true spirit of mail art took shape as a cooperative attitude. Everybody was at the same level, sincerely aimed at making things happen at their best. Perhaps art belongs to the ones that just make it, with a sense of being at service of a common goal?! The reality, topped with an ice cream eaten nearby later, before saying goodbye, was just the performance, that – considering any kind of presence, including the ones, in spirit, from the past, was really successfull.
Sherena Velella performance: ear_th 2
On September 14th, in Ponza, at Museo Civico of via Roma, I take part at the finissage of the exhibition “Lo Stracquo: l’arte che viene dal mare” with the performance “Sherena Velella”.
From bottom right, anticlockwise: 1) stranded chair used by Charlotte Menin for her installation “Conversazioni di fondo”, 2) Laura Cristin among her work “Sherena Velella” and “Optimist” by Kika Bohr, 3) Tarot ensign # 2, alias “ear_th” painted in 2010, 4) main nave of the collective exhibition “Lo Stracquo” at Museo civico of Ponza LT, 5) detail of my foot in religious mode while entering the chapel inside “The Temperance” by Niki de Saint Phalle at the Tarots Garden in Capalbio GR, August 2014. In the background: heARTs in Ponza’s sky.
After having searched/worked about the interiority of the feelings/fillings of “Sherena Velella” bust/pillow, having installed it in the blue 100% pure plastic wave/veil stranded among many velella velellas in the isle of Ponza, time has come for a performance to interact with the whole collective exhibition. The place is the Civic Museum, aka “I cameroni dei confinati”, just above a big subterranean cistern of the Roman aqueduct. On the occasion of the finissage of “Lo Stracquo”, 5th edition of Ambientarte, on Sunday, September 14th, 2014 I will arrive in the island, in the very center of Mediterraneo at Long 12°E, coming from the places around Trieste where the same Sea reaches its further North at Lat 45°N. The Sea – the true protagonist of the works – will metaphorically come back. A stick-of-rain, the Tarot ensign # 2, that I named “ear_th”, a white, barely perceptible plastic veil for the foam of the waves etc will be the main instruments as long as the movements of my body and the music by Dario Della Rossa. Not-so-ephemeral presences that had most touched the heART of many, will take shape… just for a moment.
“Lo Stracquo” exhibition is promoted by Azienda Speciale per l’Economia del Mare, municipalities of Ponza and Gaeta, Pinacoteca Comunale d’Arte Contemporanea of Gaeta. Organization by Cala Felci and Novecento association.
Stracquo with Sherena Velella in Ponza
On August 1st, in the island of Ponza, at i Cameroni dei Confinati (aka Museum) of via Roma, the exhibition “Lo Stracquo: l’arte che viene dal mare” opens to the public. The project is run by the association Calafelci and Pinacoteca of Gaeta.
From Velella Velella fish (bottom right) in anticlockwise direction: 1) with a blue sail given by the Sea, 2) study/details of the inside of “Sherena Velella”, 3) enwrapping the feelings in the right shape to fill the textile bust, 4) finished torso, seen from the pelvis, 5) “Sherena Velella” (in the white box) just about to leave home, headed to the sail in Ponza.” width=”600″ height=”348″ class=”size-full wp-image-503″ /> From Velella Velella fish (bottom right) in anticlockwise direction: 1) with a blue sail given by the Sea, 2) study/details of the inside of “Sherena Velella”, 3) enwrapping the feelings in the right shape to fill the textile bust, 4) finished torso, seen from the pelvis, 5) “Sherena Velella” (in the white box) just about to leave home, headed to the sail in Ponza
A work/installation of mine “Sherena Velella” takes part among the sixteen selected. The textile bust filled with feelings/emotions coming from/leaving the very center of Mediterraneo, has joined at last the “blue sail” already there since its repechage in April. I will be there too from the August 24 till the 30 and at the finissage on Sunday, September 14th, 2014.
Danse du Tarot en F
On July 14th, in Paris, at Pére Lachaise cemetery, at the annual celebration for Raymond Roussel cured by Gianni Broi, meeting point at Chapel Thiers (55th division) at 14:00. Up to 18:00.
clockwise: Ensign 14 D Angel, 2007: performance at Pére Lachaise 2011; study for hair in/for F; detail of a seahorse in Mediterranea II mannequin, 2000;performance at Carolei, CS, 2010
The Tarots’ dance in F that will take place at Pére Lachaise cemetery in Paris on 14th July 2014, frees a significant part of the research on the Arcana undertaken in 2007 by the painter and performer Laura Cristin, aka Sheren, and the musician Dario Della Rossa . The intent was / is to relive personal experiences in new Stories and Geographies of the imaginary. The research starts from the orthodox symbolism of the Arcana and goes on exploring other spaces and dimensions. Ensigns, music, actions, so far produced were exhibited in fragmentary form – mostly in private performance. This year, the heart of that work finds an extreme affinity of times, places and themes with/just joining the choral memory of Raymond Roussel in Paris. There are moments/steps in “Locus solus” (the centenary of his masterpiece falls this year) with which “Danse du Tarot en F” is most in tune. The musical hair of Faustine/mermaid to be paired with Sheren, not to talk about the resemblances of the sixth chapter where the Tarots’ music is played by the emeralds trapped in the cards. Beautiful corresponDances to be re-played in Paris, together with the ensigns 14 D, 6 LoveS and 21 CoronA. The idea of this performance emerges from a deep empathy with the writer, whom we are grateful to for the demostration that dreams and imagination are true. Another motivation is to bestow him – perhaps — just a bit of that success that he felt in life only while singing at the piano. More about this tribute can be seen while/when taking its proper shape on July 14th . The first part will be mostly in blue, the second will turn toward the emerald green, with a water-veil that comes from Palermo…
13 June 2014: not-so-personal 60!
On June 13th 2014, at dawn, the Sun will be in the same position of the natal one, after 60 ear_th’s revolutions. At the same time, from the Chinese point of view and calendar, the wooden Horse, yang, of my horoscope will also return, once in 60 yrs. I am happy to share/have shared the Time here on hearth and sky, so far! Celebrations will follow at Lat 45° N and Long 13° E, along the Sea.
10 May 2014: Cavellini Centenary&around
On May 10th, I will attend – one way or another – these events:
“GAC day” in Ponte Nossa (Bergamo) IT, where there’s a mail art exhibition to celebrate the Centennial of Cavellini, the “Open Day of Golden Roots in Europe” showing my piece “Liberty Statue NY/NL” at Kunst Kolonie Veenhuizen, then “micro2 and micro&book” exhibition in San Donato Milanese (Milan) IT, with a “Sheren’s ATLAS” and last but not least I will be at the 4th International Competition “The lace” in Gorizia, IT as a juror. The prizes will be awarded at Palazzo Lantieri, from 10:30.
All these events develop a Cavellinian idea of Time, according to his self-promotion and pre planning of events beyond his life. For mathematical reasons, part of the last century, belongs to me too, since I was born in ’54 – year of the wooden horse, yang (like 2014). Artistically, GAC is now more than alive, as my 60 years or my grandma Angela, whose war diary ’14-’16 I recently happened to read. Time belongs to everybody involved and protagonist in the flux of Life/Art!
London Biennale 2014: Expo Brut
From 1 May to 1 June 2014 in Tilly, Belgium, at Acrodacrolivres there’s an exhibition curated by Rino Telaro as a Pollination of London Biennale 2014. I have taken part in the independent exhibition/movement founded and directed by David Medalla since 2004. For each edition I made a card on the theme, as requested for participating, often with the Eros statue of Piccardilly Circus. The Biennale of 2006 in London comes to my mind with all the artists I met and the performances at The Foundry, Orleans House and Sinergy Gallery. Since then, approaching 1st of May, I like to think about my art/life and make a ‘free’ point about it. This time, in Belgium, I participate in ExpoManifestoBrut with a mirror card where miniatures of my previous LB cards make a sort of crown frame.
Sherena Velella I
4-5-6 April, in the isle of Ponza, the first part of my participation in “Stracquo” took shape. A “sail” coming from a piece of a fiberglass swimming pool, was given by the Sea, as well as the inspiration of the many velella velella (by the wind sailors) I could find on the beach after a storm. The sail has remained in the Museum of Ponza, waiting for the textile bust of Sherena that I brought home to be completed, for a main exhibition in August.
Full details by Rita Bosso’s review.
She-rena in Stracquo
4-5-6 April 2014, in the isle of Ponza, in the Tyrrhenian Sea, I take part in “Lo stracquo: aka the art that comes from the sea”…
Laura Cristin, aka Sheren, is among the 12 selected for taking part in Ponza’s “Lo stracquo” – that is the art that comes from the sea’s waste. Along with other artists on the same wavelenght, she will be a guest on the island of Ponza in the first weekend of April 2014. They all will be busy in the preparation/preview of their final work that will be finished later to be presented at Yacth Med Festival and in group exhibitions during the Summer. The event is organized by Calafelci of Ponza, in collaboration with the Cultural Association ‘900 and the support of the City / Pinacoteca of Gaeta. It is a wonderful opportunity for Sheren to explore a She-rena (=sand) aspects and to weave her personal quest with the collective waste recovery, so to identify and gather particularly significant fragments brought from the Sea. The April stay is already an “ante litteram” art action, the assumption for things and facts that can take beautiful forms at the right Time, under favorable circumstances. The main idea – subject however to unexpected changements – is to bring in Ponza semi-finished textile busts of sea and sky, to fill with weaves of thoughts, memories and sounds brought from the waters where the sirens/mermaids live.
Art20 in Finland
5 – 27 March, in Kangasala, Finland, at Villa Armas, I take part with a 20×20 cm collage, at the international exhibition “Art20”, already shown last year in Renko. Curator: Pirjo Heino
