The origin of the word desiderio (desire) derives from the Latin de-sidus, it literally indicates the “lack of stars”, metaphorically referring to good omens. In this sense, “desire” can be understood as a feeling of passionate search to fill a spiritual need. Société Interludio’s exhibition in Cambiano (TO), “DESIDERIO | ATTO PRIMO”, starts precisely from this principle to build a research and collaboration project between national and international artists and galleries. The Turin gallery is run by Stefania Margiacchi, a young gallerist committed to the promotion of emerging artists in dialogue with other galleries.
AA.VV., DESIDERIO | ATTO PRIMO, installation view at Société Interludio, Cambiano (TO), photo Stefano Mattea, courtesy Société Interludio
Angelica Raho: The project was launched in the Turin space with “DESIDERIO | PRELUDIO” (15 Sept. – 5 Nov. 2023), what does it consist? What are the future prospects and ambitions?
Stefania Margiacchi: Starting from 2020 I started collecting images of artworks with the theme of stars as their subject. Together with the poet Silvia Righi I created the Paralleli column (ATP Diary, April – May 2020), which linked art and contemporary poetry. The first release had as its subject the works for the Citera exhibition (September 2020), the subsequent project was born almost by chance. We spent the spring archiving material to use as a conceptual basis for an exhibition project, in several stages, on the theme of desire, which then remained awaiting more mature times. In these last three years I have made my intent clear: to use the gallery space and my curatorial experience to stage cultural projects in commercial containers. The prelude to the DESIDERIO project – a group show of young artists – was presented in the location where the gallery was born (Piazza Vittorio Veneto 14, Turin). The first act, the new direction of the gallery, opented in our new space in Cambiano. We are currently working on the next exhibitions, scheduled for 2024. The first part of the project addresses the theme of the “desire for elsewhere”, iconographically represented by the star, the subsequent moments will delve into other symbols.
Gilberto Zorio, Stella tondo, 2009, photo Stefano Mattea, courtesy Galleria De’ Foscherari, Bologna
From Stella Sangue Spirito (Pratiche Editrice, 1995) yoy extract a quote by Claudio Parmiggiani: «An artwork like a star nailed to the sky», which emphasises how the exhibition is a constellation of artworks. The artists are Mario Airò, Francesco Carone, Andrew Dadson, Marco de Sanctis, Ivan Grilo, Sophie Ko, Davide Mancini Zanchi, Giovanni Ozzola, Giulio Paolini, Claudio Parmiggiani, Agathe Rosa, Erik Saglia, Marco Schiavone and Gilberto Zorio. What are the links and relationships between the works?
The works inhabit a sidereal dimension that traces a sort of path, a new constellation. It is less evident, but just as present, the idea of a journey. From Erik Saglia’s shuttle that accompanies us from the first to the second exhibition space, from Turin to Cambiano, we tried to evoke a sort of climax: from the earth to the sky, all the way to the stellar surface. Moreover, what interested me was that this modus operandi was not only in the individual works, but also in the artistic making. The theme returns in many researches: from Gilberto Zorio’s stars, to Paolini’s cosmos, to younger artists such as Davide Mancini Zanchi, Agathe Rosa, Erik Saglia or Marco Schiavone. In some cases the theme has almost an obsessive presence in its iconographic repetition, in others, such as Francesco Carone or Ivan Grilo, it is a desire for the elsewhere, for anguish, for enjoyment, for death.
Davide Mancini Zanchi, Le mie stelle da vicino non sono poi così romantiche, 2023, photo Stefano Mattea, courtesy: AplusB Gallery, Brescia
For this project Société Interludio collaborates with AplusB, Thomas Brambilla, In Arco, Galleria Continua, De’ Foscherari, Franco Noero, Osart Gallery, SpazioA, Tucci Russo and Dauwens&Beernaert. What do these galleries have in common? What does this association consist of?
The collaboration started with a simple invitation from Société Interludio to the other galleries. Again, the theme of the constellation becomes strong and present. It is through collaboration and union that I have always imagined art making today. Every Société exhibition is organized in collaboration with other galleries. Not representing an artist cannot be a limit to what one feels the need to communicate, and if the vision is the same, the echo will be even more intense. In recent years, thanks to these collaborations, great friendships were born (in particular with Francesca Antonini from the homonym gallery in Rome and with Francesco Ribuffo from De’ Foscherari gallery in Bologna) and it is a modality that I always adhere to with great pleasure, even when I am invited in my turn (only this year I collaborated with the Cardelli e Fontana gallery in Sarzana for Andrea Barzaghi’s bi-personal exhibition and with Studio la Città in Verona for a group show in which Agathe Rosa involved).
AA.VV., DESIDERIO | ATTO PRIMO, installation view at Société Interludio, Cambiano (TO), photo Stefano Mattea, courtesy Société Interludio
The construction of the exhibition is strongly narrative and the works are differentiated by their belonging to the four elements: fire, water, air and earth. What are the urgencies you want to bring out as a curator, with respect to both the association with the galleries and the choice of artists?
Both my collaborator Allegra Fantini and I come from a curatorial background. For the project, we also included a third narrative voice, who was able to put ideas and visions in order: curator Giulia De Giorgi. The presence of figures from outside the gallery is always a valuable resource for me because it broadens the vision field and allows us an indispensable contradiction to try to bring some culture into the galleries as well. My vision today is clear – also and above all – because I have the great fortune of being able to deal with professionals who illuminate my blind spots. To conclude, I would say that the primary urgency is to team up with those you recognise as similar so as not to forget that galleries too (as the past teaches us) are and must remain places of culture, without the market having the upper hand in the choices.
Angelica Lucia Raho
Info:
DESIDERIO | ATTO PRIMO
Artisti: Mario Airò, Francesco Carone, Andrew Dadson, Marco de Sanctis, Ivan Grilo, Sophie Ko, Davide Mancini Zanchi, Giovanni Ozzola, Giulio Paolini, Claudio Parmiggiani, Agathe Rosa, Erik Saglia, Marco Schiavone e Gilberto Zorio.
In collaborazione con: AplusB, Thomas Brambilla, Galleria Continua, Dauwens&Beernaert De’Foscherari, In Arco, Franco Noero, Osart Gallery, SpazioA, Tucci Russo
29/10/2023 – 7/01/2024
Société Interludio
via Torino 3, Cambiano (TO)
https://societeinterludio.com/it/home/
Lecce, 1999. After a three-year degree in Communication and Art Teaching and a two-year specialist course in Visual Cultures and curatorial practices at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, she collaborates with art magazines and with independent curatorial projects between Lecce and Milan.
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