AlbumArte presents
Iginio De Luca | Riso Amaro
Ten Years of Blitz
Curated by Claudio Libero Pisano
Opening reception on Wednesday, June 14 2017 at 6:30pm
Open to the public until July 21, 2017
On Wednesday, 14th June 2017, at 6:30pm, AlbumArte inaugurates the exhibition Riso Amaro. Dieci anni di blitz by Iginio De Luca, curated by Claudio Libero Pisano. (Bitter Rice. Ten Years of blitz, where ‘Riso’ also means ‘laugh’ in Italian).
The exhibition records the numerous artistic, performative, political and sarcastic blitz that Iginio De Luca has produced and realized over the last ten years.
The blitz, or incursions, always organized without a prearranged public and without notice, address characters and/or places that symbolize power, such as Pope Ratzinger, several politicians, the dome of St. Peter, the Quirinale Square and Palazzo Chigi, as well as issues related to the streets of Rome. De Luca’s blitz are not just simple goliardic gestures or superficial theatrical raids, but rather poetic incursions that express a political stance on social denunciation.
Starting from political, social and cultural issues, the artistic actions clearly recount the history of the last decade of our country, to draw attention to the fact that much of what has been criticized by the artist himself still remains unchanged today.
The meticulous nature of the preparation and execution of the blitz is accompanied by the thoughtful and attentive content of the artist’s work. The title of the show reflects the poetics featuring in Iginio De Luca’s blitz: laughter can be both liberating and bitter yet remains a necessity.
The exhibition will feature photos, videos, materials and sound installations of the blitz, creating an exciting and engaging atmosphere for the spectator, who will find himself immersed in a vibrant and stimulating environment.
The exhibition does not follow a chronological order, but rather allows the visitor to create his own meaning through videos, sounds, photos and installations that form a unique site specific in the space of AlbumArte.
The project has received the patronage of the Assessorato alla Cultura del Municipio II (Department for Culture of the 2nd Municipality) of Roma Capitale.
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Iginio De Luca | Born in Formia on August 21st 1966. He lives in both Rome and Turin, teaching Decoration and Multimedia Installations at the Academy of Fine Arts in Frosinone (RM). He is a multifaceted artist: a musician, an actor, a visual artist. He makes videos, installations, and performances. In recent years, his work has focused mainly on the productions of videos, photographic images, and on what he calls blitz. Lying somewhere in between urban art and performance, blitz features elements of great disturbance and visual impact. Hybridizing with ethics and aesthetics, technology and behavioral actions, De Luca stresses the interaction between the environment and the public, denouncing the crisis of values of our time with both irony and commitment. His design and consequent methodological and operational choices have always been characterized by the use of multiple linguistic registers. The common denominator is the need to break down securities and codes of formal expression, deceiving reality and surprising spectators from behind. The artist sews a delicate equilibrium between different signs of nature. The task of the audience is to decode this web through active participation and responses to questions that cannot be eluded. Although operating on many fields, Iginio De Luca develops a consistent and solid body of work. The artist took part in several personal and collective exhibitions both in Italy and abroad. www.iginiodeluca.com/kinds/blitz/
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By Claudio Libero Pisano
Those who know Iginio De Luca are used to discontinuity, to a poetics that is consciously never fixed. His production revives familiar memories and retraces them without being afraid of sharing the most intimate and emotional aspects. Then, all of a sudden, we find him making fun of the history of art and artists, in an escalation of playfulness and jokes.
The Blitz are positioned somewhere in between Iginio De Luca’s intimate and the hilarious poetics, as a body of actions retracing the past decade of his life and artistic activity. Over the years, the themes of these performative incursions have always been linked to political, social and cultural events. These are not just simple goliardic gestures or superficial theatrical raids. Beyond laughter and fun, the groove and grotesque style of his production always encourages some reflection. The lightness of the preparation and execution of the blitz is accompanied by the thoughtful and attentive content. The Blitz’ references are not clear or linear; without ever remaining isolated and provocative, these actions owe a debt to Futuristic theatricality, to Dada’s nonsense and to the anarchist actions and movements of the Sixties and Seventies. In short, there is the whole of the twentieth century, though every comparison results forced; De Luca, also in his most politically oriented and elaborated research, remains a socially conscious artist. This is a decisive feature for the understanding of his work.
As per tradition, the performer, always looking for a bond with the Other, is alone no matter what. Recalling the whole body of the Blitz, the extreme loneliness of the artist becomes apparent. Even in the lightest and most entertaining actions, a subtitle is evident, which requires not halting in the sphere of empathy. Politicians and cultural actors are targeted, but the questions raised are not addressing them. De Luca turns towards us all. We are asked to support him, and not to become sheep wearing the logos of big brands queuing outside the Parliament.
Riso amaro does not follow a chronological order, but rather allows the visitor to create his own meaning through videos, sounds, photos and installations that form a unique site specific. In addition to the Blitz sequence, the exhibition offers an opportunity to examine the past ten years through the works: from the best known incursions to lesser known ones, a piece of history of our country can be analysed to draw attention to the fact that much of what has been criticized by the artist’s performances still remains unchanged today. The two words that make up the title of the show condense the poetics that supports Iginio De Luca’s Blitz. Laughter is not always liberating, it could be better, yet remains a necessity. The history of cinema, from which De Luca has drawn inspiration, is also present and considered in his work.
Finally, there is an important tribute to Libero De Libero, to his generation, who made Culture with partisan consciousness and determination. A tribute to freedom that makes us sing out loud, aware of being heard, a tribute to Culture as form of action and as idea of social change.
Amazingly, in De Libero’s word is the key to best interpret Iginio De Luca’s Blitz.
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All the blitz
1- “Nculo vaffa”(Off Fuck), 2006, spray paint on electoral manifesto, via Marco Polo, Rome.
2-“Silvio c’hai rotto li gommoni”(Silvio you’re breaking our gums), 2010, tourist plane flying over the Latium coastline.
3-“Il Papa macchiato” (The stained Pope), 2010, projection of Pope Ratzinger’s image on historical and sacred places of Rome.
4-“Lavami”(Wash me), 2010, laser beam on the dome of St. Peter, Rome.
5-“Pastore a Montecitorio”(Shepherd at Montecitorio), 2010, video projection on Palazzo Chigi and sound intervention, Rome.
6-“Brand”, 2011, video projection of “ECC” logo on shop windows of Via Condotti, Rome
7-“Stiamo lavorando per noi”(We are working for us), 2011, acoustic intervention inside “house of memory”, San Lorenzo, Rome.
8-“Le voci di dentro”(The voices within), 2011, video projection on the Cosenza Wing at the GNAM, Rome.
9-“Farsa Italia GRA”(Farce Italy GRA), 2011, tourist plane flying over the GRA, Rome.
10-“Ladro lui ladra lei”(He thief She thief), 2012, video projection of Luigi Zampa’s movies on the building of Regione Lazio, Rome.
11-“Monumento al panino”(Monument to the sandwich), 2013, giant sandwich positioned in Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome.
12-“Italia for sale”, 2013, retouched electoral manifestos of Monti, several areas of Rome.
13-“Farsa Italia, via crucis”(Farce Italy, via crucis), 2013, parade along the Imperial Forums with maxi banner, Rome.
14-“ Ca Maronn c’accumpagn”(May the grace of Mary be with you), 2013, launching of two giant dice in front of the Quirinale palace, Rome.
15-“Vota Paolo Uccello”(Vote for Paolo Uccello), 2014, billposting of 10 maxi electoral manifestos in key venues of power and art, Rome.
16-“L’appeso”(The hangman), 2014, retouched electoral manifesto of Alfano, via Colombo, Rome.
17-“L’orfano”(The orphan), 2014, video projection on the exterior walls of MACRO’s venues, Rome.
18-“L’inchino”(The bow), 2014, billposting of 10 maxi manifestos in key venues of power, Rome.
19-“Villa Sciatta”(Villa Sloppy), 2014, application of a marble slab on Villa Sciarra, Rome.
20-“Miracolo”(Miracle), 2014, pictorial intervention on the cheeks of the Mary of Monteverde Vecchio, Rome.
21-“Cygnus”, 2014, intervention on potholes in 20 different places in Rome.
22-“Impara l’arte e non metterla da parte”(Learn the art and don’t put it apart), 2015, performance on the stairs of the Ministry of Public Education, Rome.
23-“Venghino Siori, venghino”(Come one, come all), 2016, intervention with megaphone and sailing truck in front of the National Gallery, Rome.
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