L'eighth edition of Art to Artcurated by Elio Grazioli e Hou Hanruintertwined tradition and contemporaneity with the participation of Jimmie Durham a Colle di Val d'Elsa, Marjetica Potrč a Siena, Eko Prawoto a Buonconvento, Emilio Prini a Montalcino, Sarkis a Poggibonsi e Wang Du a San Gimignano.
I special projects by Erminia De Luca, Red Sniper e Arte x Vino = Acquacompleted this edition, reaffirming the role of art as a bridge between culture and territory.
Edited by Elio Grazioli and Hou Hanru.
"I was just wondering whether art should not be returned to art again after so much dedication to the extra, when an unexpected phone call from my friend Mario Cristiani struck me to the heart, in every sense of the word, asking for my availability to curate the eighth edition of Arte all'Arte. The foreign co-curator would be the Chinese Hou Hanru. You won't believe it, but I had just that morning read a news item about him that had caught my attention. Of course, a Chinese is what I needed too, an open Chinese who knows and appreciates the international situation with the eye of someone who comes from a culture that is not the so-called Western one. This is an excellent premise according to the approach of Arte all'Arte and the current need to come to terms with the non-Western issues that have been at the centre of current affairs in art for years.
But, then, should art be returned to art?"
For some years now, Arte all'Arte has represented one of the most significant events on the Italian exhibition scene. It differs from other artistic events, even more important ones such as the Venice Biennale, not only by virtue of the physicality of the creations, located outside the conventional exhibition spaces, but above all by virtue of the direct involvement in the local reality, both geographical and social, of the Tuscan region.
Now in its eighth edition, the event, fruit of the immense and tenacious efforts of the Arte Continua Association, is now entering its most mature phase. This reached maturity is evident in the deep involvement and commitment shown by the organisers and, of course, the artists, towards the local reality and interests and, at the same time, an equally important element, in the ingenuity of the conception and realisation of artistic projects created expressly for that situation.
The group of artists participating in this year's event undoubtedly offers an extremely fresh and original combination, involving people from different countries and cultures. These artists often embody singular experiences of globalisation, but are at the same time deeply committed to specific local realities, of which they offer innovative readings and creative proposals. Sarkis, of Armenian descent, was born in Istanbul, has lived in Paris for 30 years and has travelled and worked all over the world. Jimmie Durham, a Cherokee 'American Indian', now lives in Berlin and works everywhere to 'escape' 'imperialist centralisation'. Emilio Prini, an almost mythical figure of the Arte Povera generation, re-emerges from behind the scenes. Marjetica Potrc is a Slovenian 'third-worlder' who has explored various 'glocal' urban conditions, especially outside the West. Wang Du, a Chinese national living in Paris, exhibits all over the world and is progressively focusing his work on different local realities, while his main interest evolves through a more global theme: reflection on the power of the media. Eko Prawoto, an Indonesian architect who lives in Jakarta but trained in Europe, bases his social commitment on the invocation of ecological and cultural progress as a further step in the long march to improve the living conditions of local communities and on the revaluation of traditional and alternative technologies. The above-mentioned artists ensured that the most diverse and stimulating projects met and dialogued with the local societies and the natural scenery of the six towns involved in the event: San Gimignano, Siena, Colle di Val d'Elsa, Montalcino, Buonconvento and Poggibonsi.
It is crucial to emphasise the considerable efforts these artists have made to introduce important changes in the notion of public art. These efforts represent the most significant trend of our times, i.e. the renewed involvement of art projects and public dimensions, social and environmental realities.
Hou Hanru from Art to Art VIII
