ACROBAZIE#5 FLAVIO FAVELLI
4 October – 20 December 2009
Opening 4th October 2009 at 5 pm
Atelier di Pittura Adriano e Michele
54, Via San Giovanni di Dio-
20078 San Colombano al Lambro
phone: + 39 071207225
mail: atelier689 [at] fatebenefratelli.it
www.atelieradrianoemichele.it
The fifth exhibition mounted by the “Acrobazie” project, curated by Elisa Fulco and supported by UniCredit Group, will open on Sunday, October 4, at 5 pm.
This year’s show features the artist Flavio Favelli, who continues the dialogue begun by previously featured artists (Sandrine Nicoletta, 2004; Marcello Maloberti, 2006; Sara Rossi, 2007; Francesco Simeti, 2008) with the “outsider” artists of “Atelier di Pittura Adriano and Michele“, which works with patients of the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at the Fatebenefratelli Hospital in San Colombano al Lambro.
This year, Flavio Favelli, for the first time in the project’s history, will create a permanent gallery setting for the space at San Colombano named “Studiolo da esposizione(Studio for exhibition)“. The 300-square-meter area will be configured to showcase a range of works, including art, furniture, applied design and fashion. The flexible design will accommodate both future shows and the atelier’s collection. Favelli’s plan incorporates a wooden floor with decorative motifs of Amarena Fabbri.
This year’s project, which revolves around the theme of “Made in Italy,” was developed over the course of a series of workshops held by Favelli from March through June of 2009. Contributing artists include Umberto Bergamaschi, Gianfranco Bianco, Giuseppe Bomparola, Luigi Cremaschini, Curzio Di Giovanni, Patrizia Fatone, Paolo Giovanetti, Fabio Gosparini, Claudio Salvago and Andrea Vicidomini. The “Made in Italy” theme reflects the significance of brands, which can symbolize a power evoking both dreams and disappointments, inclusion and exclusion from economic and social worlds. The origin of the word “brand” derives from the branding of animals and slaves. In Italian, the word “marca“ can also connote the violence that may come into play in imposing a name on something.
The show will reflect nuances of branding, labeling, recognition, anonymity and craftsmanship. These themes take on special significance in the context of mental illness, a condition that can serve to label patients with negative associations and even deprive them of their identity.
Favelli has provided the atelier’s artists with a variety of examples of the brand universe associated with the “Made in Italy” theme, all of which have subsequently been broken down and reassembled according to personal dictates. Each of the artists selected a given emblem, such as the Martini bottle, the decorative motifs of Amarena Fabbri, the juicer designed by Philippe Stark for Alessi and Eni’s logo of a six-legged dog. They then incorporated these images into works that both capture the identity of the artist and bring up questions as to what belongs to whom.
Favelli’s intent is to transform brands into stories – into private experiences made public again through visual art, texts and installations.
The exhibition includes:
• a permanent, site-specific installation by Flavio Favelli;
• a temporary installation utilizing found objects, furniture, textiles, drawings, writings and collage;
• visual works by the artists of “Atelier di Pittura Adriano e Michele”
The choice of Favelli as the featured artist for 2009 was inspired by the themes that characterize his work – memory, death and the exploration of uncomfortable aspects of 20th century history. He focuses on social issues, emphasizing the will to change reality through art. The artist’s approach, combining precise design with handmade technique, is well-suited to working with the artists of San Colombano.
A bilingual catalog from Corraini, with graphics by Mari Conidi, will be published to illustrate the experience of Acrobazie #5.
In line with its cultural policy of making a social impact through long-term collaborations with institutions, UniCredit Group has been supporting “Acrobazie” since 2006. Flavio Favelli’s work from the project will become part of the Group’s collection. It will be placed on loan with the gallery at San Colombano. The Group’s collection of outsider art will also be expanded with works by the artists of the atelier.
