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27 June, 6.30pm
 
Speakers: Luca Cerizza, curator and art critic; Giulia Mengozzi, curator; Giulia Gelmini, curator; moderator: Gail Cochrane, Visual Arts Supervisor, Master in Design for Arts, Politecnico di Torino.

Via Reggio 13, 10153, Torino

 
ALMANAC INN presents White and black stripes and a red nose (Let’s talk), the second phase of a project by Davide Sgambaro (Cittadella, 1989), part of ALMANAC’s programme dedicated to exhibiting the practice of young Italian artists and promoting a dialogue and confrontation with the public.

Davide Sgambaro’s research reflects on contemporary issues, in particular on the conditions of precariousness and instability. Using autobiographical references, the artist develops these concepts with the help of a playful and sometimes utopian universe, thus creating humoral changes between irony and drama that lead to an amused and amusing melancholy.
White and black stripes and a red nose is a research project that anticipates the new production of Sgambaro, who considers the paradox of presence as the starting point of a thought to be proposed to the public, on the dichotomy between the feeling of insecurity and lability. The project White and black stripes and a red nose is characterized by three moments and it will take shape in a process of becoming without any supervision from the artist, who will simply document and, only later, summarize the whole experience in a final work.

(Let’s talk), the second stage of the project that follows (The game) and that will continue with (The Movie), includes a meeting open to all, an occasion for the public to talk and confront a group of art professionals, invited to discuss the current role and the disappearance of art criticism, which decline was already observed by Carla Lonzi and Germano Celant in the 70s.
 

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White and black stripes and a red nose (the game) is the first phase of a project by Davide Sgambaro curated by Giulia Gelmini with the participation of Davide Mancini Zanchi, Nicole Colombo, Erik Saglia, Paolo Bufalini, Furlani-Gobbi.

Performance: 17 May, 6.30pm
18—26 May

Pregnant with irony, Davide Sgambaro’s practice reflects and filters the dynamics of contemporary society in which contradictions, precarious situations and impending risks coexist. In fact, there are numerous areas of daily life corrupted by threatening presences, which make oscillate what is stable, bringing it one step away from failure.
With a playful attitude, Sgambaro analyses the concept of defeat, staging performative actions and creating melancholic installations, lightened by a bitter awareness, which often leads to a nervous laugh.
In the spaces of Almanac in Turin the research presented focuses on the current condition of young Italian artists, in a sense forced to spend most of their time working on applications, updating portfolios, to be attached in open call, competing for prizes and residences. The time devoted to reflection, reading and consequently to production is clearly less.
White and black stripes and a red nose is a project consisting of three acts; three moments linked together and developed over a wide period of time, involving the spectators on several occasions.
At first, the Italian artistic system is staged around a poker table; (The game) recreates a scenario of precariousness composed of artists challenged by the rules of a game that is a symbol of risk and chance. By mimicking the acts of poker players, the five artists are involved in an action that requires strategy and competition. Thus, during the game, in a scenographic set, but also in real life, the partici- pants challenge fate, competing for the much coveted prize.
To direct the game, a curator, on this occasion acting as a croupier, metaphorically the figure that in the artistic field offers opportunities to those young artists willing to bet on themselves. In (The game) the roles are emphasized and led to exasperation. What constitutes the jackpot in the game of poker is replaced by a work by each artist involved. An all-in, symbol of total hazard.
Around the table, the art public plays a pivotal role. Free to interact with the participants and influence the game, the spectators are the subjects which trust and esteem has to be gained. They are the judging voices that observe the prizes, displayed in the same room next to each other, as part of a single installation.
Second act is (Let’s talk): a public assembly, an opportunity for the “experts” to discuss, invited to discuss the role of today’s critics and their disappearance, of which Carla Lonzi and then Germano Celant already in the 70s observed its sunset.
During (Let’s talk) the last act of the project is revealed: (A movie). A video documentation in which the video documentation of the game, shot from the top of the poker table, are combined with audio recordings of the public conversation. White and black stripes and a red nose slowly reveals the construction of the project, which consists in conveying the same phases that constitute it.
Sgambaro proposes an intervention free from the practice of interpretation, but which leads to the collection, filing, recording of events, situations, documents that are offered as impartial testimonials.
In a famous essay of 1964, Susan Sontag states “[...] The spirit of the time is to be detached. Game ... feelings ... apolitical “, and in the footsteps of this thought Sgambaro challenges the participants of this project, asking them to play a game against the system, acting as strategists with cards assigned by chance.

Via Reggio 13, 10153, Turin
info@almanacproject.com