Totem
Cities of the Future
Associazione Arte Continuawhich has always been committed to bringing contemporary art into public spaces and unconventional places, uses explanatory totems as a support to guide the public to the discovery works of art installed in the urban context. Promoting a connection deeper with the territory and making accessible cultural content to all, they become a vehicle for social dialogue and urban regeneration.
The Totems
In line with the mission of the Arte Continua Association to bring contemporary art closer to the general public and promote an inclusive and accessible dialogue, the explanatory totems represent a fundamental tool to facilitate interaction with the works ofpublic art donated by Associazione Arte Continua to the municipalities of the upper Val d'Elsa.
The idea behind these installations, realised thanks to the project Art to Art from 1996 to 2005was to offer cities works of art designed to interact with their surroundings.
The decision to install totems next to the works stems from the need to make contemporary art usable and understandable for allcreating a bridge between the work and the visitor through key information such as title, author, context of realisation and meaning.
These totems not only guide visitors in their understanding of the work, but also reflect our commitment to anopen and participatory artcapable of involving heterogeneous communities. Made with an inclusive and accessible design, the totems are meant to be readable at different heights and suitable for people of all ages and abilities, ensuring an equal and autonomous user experience.
We believe that public art should be aopportunities for cultural enrichment for everyone. The totems, therefore, not only complete the work but also reinforce our vision of an art that speaks to everyone and stimulates a collective reflection, offering each visitor a way of enter into a direct and conscious dialogue with our artistic heritage.
21 totems for 21 works of art
Among the artists involved in this enhancement are big names from artists from the international art community. The site-specific works installed in the historical centres and rural areas of the upper Val d'Elsa will become the protagonists of an itinerary dedicated to contemporary art that will enrich the cultural experience of all, residents and tourists alike.
Colle di Val d'Elsa
- Sol Lewitt, Concret Block - Archaeological Museum
- Kiki Smith, Red Girl - Lift Tunnel
- Cai Guo-Qiang, UMoCA - Bridge of St Francis
- Ilya Kabakov, The Weakening Voice - Sapia Bastion
- Tadashi Kawamata, Porta Nuova - Porta Nuova
- Marisa Merz, Untitled - Porta Nuova Cistern
- Alberto Garutti, Premiata Società Corale V. Bellini - Via Garibaldi 130
San Giminiano
- Anish Kapoor, Underground - Torrione di Sant'Agostino, Piazza Sant'Astino
- Kiki Smith, Yellow Girl - Torrino Rocca di Montestaffoli
- Joseph Kosuth, The chair in front of the door - Bagolaro Square
- Mario Airo',Teatro de' Leggieri, Cathedral Square
- Luisa Rabbia, The rest of time, Medieval Fountain, Via delle Fonti
Poggibonsi
- Kiki Smith, Blue Girl - Poggio Imperiale Cassero della Fortezza
- Antony Gormley, Make Room, Take Seat - (7 sculptures placed in the city)
- Mimmo Paladino and Brian Eno, The Sleepers - Fairy Source
- Sarkis, The Watercolour Fountain - Matteotti Square
Thanks to this initiative, anyone can immerse themselves in contemporary art, discovering new ways to dialogue with our cultural heritage!
The explanatory totems are part of our project'.Art Culture is for All" as part of the Cities of the Future initiative.
The project was selected within the Let's Art Call by Monte dei Paschi di Siena Foundation.
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