REGALI - ARTISTS RESIDENCY 2016
Godine Gallery, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston MA, USA
Progetto di residenza d’artista a cura di Nita Sturiale (Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, USA) e Lisa Wade (Farm Cultural Park, Favara (Ag), Italia).
Artisti: Gabriele Abbruzzese, Audrey Cerchiara, Annamaria Craparotta, Jennifer Hope Davy, Nicole Dube, Luke Mannarino, Carmelo Nicotra, Renée Ricciardi, Nita Sturiale, Lisa Wade.
“Regali” è un progetto di residenza tenuto in Sicilia nel luglio 2014 nel centro culturale d’arte contemporanea Farm Cultural Park di Favara (Ag), nell’ambito di un progetto di scambio con il Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) di Boston, a cura di Nita Sturiale e Lisa Wade. L’esperienza in Sicilia, che si è svolta in un periodo di due settimane, ha focalizzato la ricerca sul concetto di “dono”, concentrandosi in particolare sulla comunità di Favara ed entrando in relazione con nove dei suoi abitanti che hanno condiviso le proprie storie attraverso dei regali speciali che avevano ricevuto o che avrebbero voluto ricevere. Il risultato di questa indagine ha prodotto una serie di interventi site specific, installazioni, video, fotografie, testi e performance. Nel 2016 la mostra è stata presentata a Boston, presso la Godine Gallery - MassArt. Nello spirito del progetto di scambio, che ha visto dapprima coinvolta la comunità di Favara, il pubblico di Boston è stato invitato per l'occasione a raccontare le loro storie e i pensieri innescati dai ricordi relativi a dei regali che hanno ricevuto o che vorrebbero ricevere. I contributi raccolti sono stati trasmessi in diretta streaming durante l’opening della mostra.
REGALI - ARTISTS RESIDENCY 2016
Artist Residency from Sicily and Exhibit at Massachusetts College of Art and Design
A project coordinated by Nita Sturiale (Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston) and Lisa Wade (Farm Cultural Park, Favara, Sicily).
Artists: Gabriele Abbruzzese, Audrey Cerchiara, Annamaria Craparotta, Jennifer Hope Davy, Nicole Dube, Luke Mannarino, Carmelo Nicotra, Renée Ricciardi, Nita Sturiale, Lisa Wade.
A collective of artists from Europe and the US have been invited to Studio for Interrelated Media Department at Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) to install REGALI, an exhibition originally created in the rural Sicilian town of Favara during an intense two-week residency in July of 2014.
All artists, including the Sicilian faction, guests of the Studio for Interrelated Media Department at MassArt, will be attending the Sicilian themed catered reception.
This collaboration evolved around notions of the gift, and focused specifically upon the community of Favara. The artists met and interviewed nine citizens of Favara who shared their stories of the gifts they have given, have received, or desire. These inquiries sparked a collaborative artistic process that resulted in installation, land art, video, text, photography, and performance. These elements were installed within the rooms, courtyards, and alleyways of Farm Cultural Park, a unique contemporary art center in the ancient center of Favara, Sicily. At the opening, four of the interviewees were living artworks - the opera singer, Sara Chianetta; the poet, Salvatore Sciortino; the bard, Angelo Vullo; and the balloon artist, Maria Paterno - their presence, the ultimate gift. The inclusive and embedded nature of this project within the surrounding community was truly uplifting and left long-lasting impressions. Those who attended the exhibition were encouraged to take a postcard representing one of the nine gift stories, with a photographic image and a quote, and mail it to someone, continuing the cycle of gifting.
The original exhibit has been reimagined for the Godine Family Gallery, a uniquely public space on the MassArt campus. During the length of the exhibit, the Boston public is encouraged to share a REGALI postcard with a loved one. Visitors will also have the opportunity to record their own stories, memories, and thoughts about a precious gift they have given or received to a live video stream in an expanding conversation in order to globally #shareourgifts.
“I was humbled by the many unexpected gifts we received during this experience. We were invited inside the homes of strangers and told many secrets. I’m particularly touched by Kwame’s story, an immigrant from Ghana, whose dream is to find his way to Brooklyn, NY – the gift he spoke of is his sister who remains in his homeland. He dreams of seeing her again one day. Alternatively, Zia Diega’s home is so full of gifts from family and friends that she rises at 5 am every day to dust. Her home is a monument to love and abundance.” Regali Director, Nita Sturiale.