MArteLive Europe and European Union Initiative
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Art In Progress is an artistic residency, a MArteLive art association initiative, that reinterprets, reinvents and tells the places that host it through art and entertainment. Theater, dance, music, photography, painting and video animate the halls of historic houses and ancient buildings, opening the gaze to new perspectives and suggestions. The reinterpretation from an artistic point of view shows how the cultural heritage linked to the past, cross-references subjects and themes to all of humanity and over time.
The multidisciplinary work of creation, imagining an interaction between artistic practices in the different rooms and spaces, generates a path open to the public who visits the historic houses discovering the interventions of art. The exciting visits-shows thus created give the opportunity to discover the history, legends and suggestions of the territories where they take place, reflecting on the essence of places of inestimable value to emerging artists.
The encounter between place, identity and multidisciplinarity creates unique and unrepeatable experiences, whose value is increased in the interaction with places of great historical and cultural value. A new innovative cultural format that becomes a tool for enhancing places through the show. An exercise that can help redefine the collective memory of a community, in a continuous regeneration. Until now, three such residencies have taken place: in Viterbo (close to Rome, Italy), in Krasiczyn Castle (Poland) and in Cagliari, Sardinia (Italy). We report you the last one.
Art in progress THE FINAL SHOW “The Community”, realised in Cagliari on 17th October 2022, was part of STORIE DI MANIFATTURA 2022 project by Impatto Teatro in collaboration with Sardegna Ricerche. The 9 artists from 6 European countries, winners of MArteLive Europe and finalists of the Biennale MArteLive 2022, prepared in 3 days an amazing multidisciplinary and itinerary performance about the place Sa Manifattura and its history!
Maria Caetano Vilalobos (Portugal) was the main actress that guided the public through the spaces of the manufacture and the one who wrote and performed an emotional poetry about the community of this place, especially underling the role of women, accompanied by the music of Miguel Bras de Oliveira (Portugal) and beautiful & artistic photographs exposed on the wall by Daniela Ariza (Spain).
On the 1st floor the public could see a painting by Claire Farrugia (Malta) and listen the music and video art by a producer Gregor Pankert (Belgium) – a tribute to the workers. There were also everywhere in the manufacture hands made by a sculptor Darina Molatová (Czech Republic). The symbol of the presence of the spirits of the people from Manifattura Tabacco community.
The final scene of the show was the most important and moving: all the artists, including artistic director Karim Galici, were dancing like in a trans with a special guest, a blind local actor Beppe Martini, accompanied by the rock folk music by Chrust (Poland). The public remained enchanted by the voice of the band vocal leader, Gosia and their song ” Pod Jaworem”. All the event was a big success and was accepted by the Sardinian community.
Special thanks to the partners Comune di Cagliari, Fondazione di Sardegna and to the coordinators Joanna Longawa and Roberta Vanali, and to the students of an artistic high school from Cagliari “Foiso fois” Liceo Artistico e Musicale di Cagliari “Foiso Fois” that helped to the three visual artists, Daniela, Darina and Claire, in their work.
Below read the whole poem by Maria Caetano Vilalobos. a tribute to the Manufacture and its workers.
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“The Sigaraie gave birth a Community”
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I learned how to run. To be on time.
I felt the gate on my skin everytime. One of my sleeves was always without an arm. That naked one was carrying my child.
its difficult to run when you are two people. Its difficult to get dressed when you’re stressed and brest
Feeding.
The green light was stronger than our will
It didn’t matter how we felt. How we feel.
The red meant no even if my body wanted to go
Inside
My mind was not in control
My body was only a tool
We were birds in a cage. Seven hundred birds flapping their wings simultaneously
But my chest has no rage
Because it was a different age
A different time
I had only one baby
But a hundred were mine
We were privelleged after all
The money
The breaks
To see our kids crawl
The moment they started to walk
And it was funny how many
Could eat from the same bowl
Drink from the same chest
It was a big house with seven hundred sisters and kids but no space for guests
When the bombs sounded
And the earth shaked
Everything was destroyed
We were always frighten
And awake
But we didn’t fall
We were together
Above it all
We never stopped making our cigars
Like living in a jail without bars
The work was needed to survive
In case the tomorrow would arrive
And we were for sure, more than alive
We couldn’t buy some bread
They adviced us to get codfish instead
That man that lived above us
They only saw the top of our heads
So we found the strength
In sorority
That’s the most beautiful thing about humanity
In the middle of the grey and rain
Even if our heart is covered in chains
When we hold hands
We feel brave
And we were saved
By that sun that we raised
In ourselves
And the trains
We pushed them down the hills
Can you imagine how does that feel?
To be strong enough to turn a whole train?
Can you imagine the size of our pain
The size of our will
Can you hear it?
The silence?
That was community
The guidance
Of the spirits in unity?
Can you feel the freedom of
Our dance?…
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Photo Cover by Leonardo Delfanti
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