The eighth edition of Arte all’Arte, curated by Elio Grazioli and Hou Hanru, intertwined tradition and contemporaneity with the participation of Jimmie Durham in Colle di Val d’Elsa, Marjetica Potrč in Siena, Eko Prawoto in Buonconvento, Emilio Prini in Montalcino, Sarkis in Poggibonsi, and Wang Du in San Gimignano.
I special projects by Erminia De Luca, Red Sniper e Arte x Vino = Acqua completed this edition, reaffirming the role of art as a bridge between culture and territory.
"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?"
“Arte all’Arte has for some years represented one of the most significant events in the Italian exhibition scene. It stands out from other artistic events, even more prominent ones like the Venice Biennale, not only because of the physicality of the creations, which are located outside conventional exhibition spaces, but also due to its direct involvement in the local reality, both geographical and social, of the Tuscany 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 unique experiences of globalization, while at the same time being deeply engaged in specific local realities, to which they bring innovative interpretations and creative proposals. Sarkis, of Armenian descent, was born in Istanbul, has lived in Paris for thirty years, and has traveled and worked all over the world. Jimmie Durham, a Cherokee “Native American,” now lives in Berlin and works everywhere in order to “escape” “imperialist centralization.” Emilio Prini, an almost mythical figure of the Arte povera generation, re-emerges from behind the scenes. Marjetica Potrc is a Slovenian “third-worldist” who has explored various “glocal” urban conditions, especially outside the West. Wang Du, a Chinese national living in Paris, exhibits worldwide and is gradually focusing his work on different local realities, while his main interest evolves around a more global theme: reflecting on the power of the media. Eko Prawoto, an Indonesian architect who lives in Jakarta but was trained in Europe, bases his social engagement on the call for ecological and cultural progress as a further step in the long march toward improving the living conditions of local communities, and on the revaluation of traditional and alternative technologies. The aforementioned artists have ensured that the most diverse and stimulating projects meet and engage in dialogue with local societies and with the natural setting of the six cities involved in the event: San Gimignano, Siena, Colle di Val d’Elsa, Montalcino, Buonconvento, and Poggibonsi.
It is essential to emphasize the considerable efforts these artists have made to introduce significant changes to the notion of public art. These efforts represent the most significant trend of our time, namely the renewed engagement between artistic projects and the public dimension, between social and environmental realities."
— Hou Hanru, Arte all’Arte VIII
