Totem
Cities of the Future
Associazione Arte Continua, da sempre impegnata nel portare l’arte contemporanea in spazi pubblici e luoghi non convenzionali, utilizza i totem esplicativi come supporto per guidare il pubblico alla discovery delle opere d’arte installate nel contesto urbano. Promuovendo una 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 per facilitare l’interazione con le opere d’public 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.
La scelta di installare i totem accanto alle opere nasce dall’esigenza di rendere l’arte contemporanea usable and understandable for all, creando un ponte tra l’opera e il visitatore attraverso informazioni chiave come title, author, context of realisation and meaning.
Questi totem non solo guidano i visitatori nella comprensione dell’opera, ma riflettono anche il nostro impegno per un’open 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 un percorso dedicato all’arte contemporanea che arricchirà l’esperienza culturale di tutti, residenti e turisti.
Colle di Val d'Elsa
- Sol Lewitt, Concret Block – Museo Archeologico
- Kiki Smith, Red Girl – Tunnel Ascensore
- Cai Guo-Qiang, UMoCA – Ponte di San Francesco
- Ilya Kabakov, The Weakening Voice – Bastione della Sapia
- Tadashi Kawamata, Porta Nuova – Porta Nuova
- Marisa Merz, Untitled – Cisterna di Porta Nuova
- 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 – Piazza del Bagolaro
- 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 sculture collocate nella città)
- Mimmo Paladino and Brian Eno, The Sleepers – Fonte delle Fate
- Sarkis, La Fontana dell’Acquerello – Piazza Matteotti
Grazie a questa iniziativa, chiunque potrà immergersi nell’arte contemporanea, 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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