Articles by: Letizia Airos

  • Library: Articles & Reviews

    The Realist and the Dreamer

    This book is dedicated to Lella Vignelli, an inspiration to all women designers who forcefully stand on the power of their merits.” So begins this excellent book just published in electronic format (You may download it at www.vignelli.com).

    Massimo Vignelli’s tender and intimate dedication carries through the entire book, which takes you into the world of the couple and immerses you in their work, their way of thinking, not only in the story of the designs they have been creating over the last half- century, but also in a lifestyle and ethic of great discipline and responsibility. Page by page, the book becomes a manifesto of style, full of intellectual honesty and intelligence.

    A call to arms The intensity of Vignelli’s dedication is important for one to understand the book fully; it contains a fierce yet coolheaded call to arms. For years, writes Massimo Vignelli, the collaboration between female architects and designers and their partners has been underappreciated. The creativity and influence of women was not accepted, and often their contribution was ndervalued if not completely ignored. This was the case even with the most famous partnerships: Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand, Alvar and Aino Aalto, and Charles and Ray Eames.

    “Female architects have often been relegated—by assumptions, by the media, by ignorance or arrogance—to supporting roles, even when they shared the position of partner,” says Vignelli. Little seems to have changed to this day. A recent article in Architectural Record noted that even though women make up 40% of all architecture majors in America today, they represent only 17% of the work force in major architectural firms.

    Of course there have been multiple recognitions for women in recent years. In 2013 the Museum of Modern Art held the exhibition “Designing Modern Women: 1890-1990” in which they noted “modern design of the twentieth century was profoundly shaped and enhanced by the creativity of women.” Macho attitudes “The supporting role of the woman architect has often been created by the macho attitudes of her male partner” writes Massimo Vignelli. “Most of the glory went to the men (not accidentally) while the women, as partner architects, found that their role was dismissed or totally ignored.” He has always wanted to create a brand that presented the couple together. But it wasn’t always easy: “For years our office sent our work to magazines properly credited. For years they only gave me the credit.”

    Many projects in the book were begun and completed by Lella herself, and she collaborated closely on others. Lella often said, “Massimo is the dreamer, I am the realist. He flies high, and sometimes I have to pull him down....”

    Their collaboration, their similar understanding and approach to design, has been extraordinary. But it hasn’t been without its hiccups. “We had complete trust in each other’s judgment, even if sometimes the discussions were quite animated,” says Vignelli of Lella. In our opinion, such openness reveals their humanity.

    “Both of us despise obsolescence in design; we consider it an irresponsible attitude toward the user and toward society. We detest a wasteful culture based on greed, we detest the exploitation of the consumer and of resources; we see this as an immoral attitude,” continues VIgnelli. “Lella’s sensibility toward natural materials, textures, and colors is quite apparent in her work: Linen, wool, silk, woods, silver are often the foundation of her creative palette. Her clothing design also reflected the same approach, based on sober values and thoughtful intelligence. Lella’s work, as her life, has been a fantastic blend of logic and playfulness, spirit and pragmatism, down-to-earth logic and idealistic vision.”

    The book provides a dense, yet minimalist portrait of their story, with pictures of their work dating from 1964 till today. The book divides their work, in Italy and America, into several chapters: “Furniture Design,” “Interior Design,” “Exhibition and Showroom Design,” “Product Design: Glass, China, Silver,” and “Clothing Design.” There you have it: Lella and Massimo Vignelli, partners, lovers, and husband and wife for over half a century.

    A role model for all women “Her personality has made her a role model for all women,” writes Massimo. On the last page, with a black background, is a close-up of Lella wearing a 17th century inspired necklace she designed. “Here, Lella is modeling her necklace. We have often said that the problem with some designers is that they play with the appearance of things rather than getting at their essence. Lella has been consistent throughout her career: she is unfailingly intelligent; rigorous, not arbitrary; timeless, not trendy. She is an inspiration.”

    Her inspiration has infected contemporary design and united this singular couple. “Design is one,” says one of their slogans. “If one knows how to design one thing, one can design everything.” But in their book design also takes two.   

  • Tourism

    Italy’s Fourth-Largest City and What It Has To Offer

    Those who know Turin, know it as the city where the automobile was born. The presence of FIAT makes it a major industrial center at the international level. But Turin is also a city of art, culture and innovation. Our conversation with Pietro Fassino thus begins with the obvious question:

    “What’s the connection between culture and business? How does one present the ‘Turin system’ in the United States?”

    “For most of the twentieth century Turin earned a reputation in the world as a large manufacturing city, a ‘one company town’ tied to car manufacturing, like Detroit in America. But

    Turin was also the first capital of Italy. However briefly it was the capital, you can still feel the effect of that to this day. In the more recent collective imagination, Turin has gained popularity thanks to the FIAT brand and Juventus, the city’s soccer team.

    Times have changed and, unlike other industrial areas, Turin reacted to the economic changes produced by the global market with great energy. New neighborhoods have replaced old factories. And the traditional work ethic of Turin’s people has allowed entrepreneurs to reinvent a role for them, to diversify production.

    Hence the hinterland represents the second largest exporter in the country. Along the way more ventures have been consolidated, making the city a desirable place to invest capital and set up business. Today we’re a metropolis with 100,000 university students, a city with an advanced service industry, and a cultural capital with museums and theaters that organize shows, festivals, and events year-round.

    The recent promotional events we organized in the Big Apple were aimed at presenting American investors with the picture of a modern and many-sided city in southern Europe that is still an innovation leader.”

    Why should an American visit the city?

    To soak up its marvelously preserved architecture and urban landscape, its rich patrimony of palazzos, piazzas, and enviable beauty. Its richness can be enjoyed in the enormous patrimony of our museums, the Egyptian and the Mole Antonelliana, in the store of treasures from the early days of film, or by passing through the numerous portrait galleries housing collections of modern and contemporary art. There’s also a surprising blend of music, cuisine, and culture in the city.

    To quote Augusto Monti, Turin remains “a fake indigent,” a city that turns up surprises and attractions. The Department of Tourism in Turin has many package deals to delight in he beauty of Turin and its surroundings, including hotels and resorts and high-end dining.

    Can you tell us more about the relationship between Turin and the 2015 Expo Milan initiative? You’re focusing on Turin’s proximity to Milan to make it a gateway to the Expo.

    Thanks to high-speed trains Turin is a little less than thirty minutes away from the Lombardy capital. Milan’s universal food expo is the perfect occasion to offer the several million visitors from around the continent to take advantage of the initiatives organized by the city. In 2015 Turin will be the European Capital of Sport. It will display the Shroud of Turin and celebrate important anniversaries, such as the bicentenary of Don Bosco, one of the most famous Saints in the Christian tradition.

    You coined the slogan “Bet on Turin.” What does that mean?

    Turin is a city of the new economy and technology
    research. Our city has an entrepreneurial heart that attracts qualified personnel from all over Europe who come here for work and play, thanks to the cultural renaissance we’re experiencing. The automobile infrastructure has been here for a hundred years. Norwegian mining engineers come here to study. There is a General Motors research center here. Turin is a large city and many of its neighborhoods have experienced a
    metamorphosis thanks to the upkeep of industrial areas abandoned by manufacturers on the far outskirts. It’s a great chance for international markets to invest, especially in the city’s north end, where there are still large spaces to redevelop and profit from a flourishing real estate market.

    Any personal tips to share about Turin? What’s your favorite area to walk? Your favorite historical building? Your favorite local dish?

    Turin is a city of extraordinary beauty with a rich history. Its roots stretch to the Roman city of Augusta Taurinorum. I have a lot of favorite spots. The city has many baroque buildings, boulevards, parks along the river, and a precious green hill. The eight-mile stretch of porticoes shading the most elegant shops in the city center is something to be proud of. I would tell an American tourist to visit the museums and portrait galleries, to stroll along the shop-lined streets and have lunch at one of the many traditional trattorias, where they’ve been serving up agnolotti del plin with truffles for a hundred years. Next I’d suggest visiting Palazzo Carignano, where 153 years ago Camillo Cavour brought together the parties that would lead to the unification of Italy, or stop by one of the historic cafes for a bicerin, a delicious concoction made with dark coffee, cocoa powder, and cream.

    For those who can’t make the trip, how can they familiarize themselves with the city from afar? Any books, movies, albums you would recommend?

    Well, they should first get the latest guidebook. As one of the Olympics slogans put it: “Turin never stays still.” Yet one book I’d recommend is a childrens’ book woven with solidarity and sympathy for the less fortunate—which feels very contemporary despite being written 130 years ago—Edmondo De Amicis’ masterpiece “Cuore” (Heart). As for music, I have to admit that Turin puts me in mind of jazz, of its twilit aspects. That should be clear given that I organized a festival for the genre. As for films, there are tons that refer to the city, especially in the last few decades.

    Consider that at least fifty films are shot in Turin every year. But I’m happy to name one that does a good job of showing a certain side of the city: “The Sunday Woman.” The movie is based on a book by Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini, a couple of brilliant, true Turinese writers, and magnificently directed by Luigi Comencini, with an all-star cast including Marcello Mastroianni and Jacqueline Bisset.

    What kind of relationship do you have with New York?

    I have great admiration for the dynamism of the city and its diverse mix of people. It’s a place, one of the most representative of the United States in my opinion, where our co-nationals distinguish themselves every day by their work.

    You have led an important political career.You were the national secretary of your party and a minister before becoming mayor. In the meantime, the Mayor of Florence has become the Prime Minister. The question seems natural even for an American who knows little about Italian politics: what is the relationship between national and local politics in Italy today? How did mayors get to be so important?

    Mayors have direct contact with citizens. Young and old, student and worker turn to their districts for answers. The municipality is the closest representation of the entire public administration. Who knows the woes and aspirations of the territory better than mayors?

    Before we go, let’s talk a moment about the province of Turin. You’re from Avigliana. How does that province continue to define you?

    It’s a town at the onset of the valley of Susa with twelve thousand inhabitants, a very pretty place with two lakes located just under Mount Pirchiriano. On the summit is the 11th century monastery of Sacra di San Michele. It’s mystical as well as extremely beautiful. I feel deeply connected to Avigliana, given my family ties to it. Like me, my grandfather and my father – who was a commander in the Italian resistance movement against Nazi-fascists – were born there. Part of my story and my roots are there.

    **Piero Fassino was born to a traditional socialist family. A member of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) since the late 1960s, he rose to become a national leader. He presided over the transformation of PCI into the Democrats of the Left, of which he became the Secretary in the early 2000s. He is now one of the leaders of the Democratic Party and since 2011 he is the Mayor of Turin.

  • Tourism

    Italy’s Fourth-Largest City and What It Has To Offer

    Those who know Turin, know it as the city where the automobile was born. The presence of FIAT makes it a major industrial center at the international level. But Turin is also a city of art, culture and innovation. Our conversation with Pietro Fassino thus begins with the obvious question:

    “What’s the connection between culture and business? How does one present the ‘Turin system’ in the United States?”

    “For most of the twentieth century Turin earned a reputation in the world as a large manufacturing city, a ‘one company town’ tied to car manufacturing, like Detroit in America. But

    Turin was also the first capital of Italy. However briefly it was the capital, you can still feel the effect of that to this day. In the more recent collective imagination, Turin has gained popularity thanks to the FIAT brand and Juventus, the city’s soccer team.

    Times have changed and, unlike other industrial areas, Turin reacted to the economic changes produced by the global market with great energy. New neighborhoods have replaced old factories. And the traditional work ethic of Turin’s people has allowed entrepreneurs to reinvent a role for them, to diversify production.

    Hence the hinterland represents the second largest exporter in the country. Along the way more ventures have been consolidated, making the city a desirable place to invest capital and set up business. Today we’re a metropolis with 100,000 university students, a city with an advanced service industry, and a cultural capital with museums and theaters that organize shows, festivals, and events year-round.

    The recent promotional events we organized in the Big Apple were aimed at presenting American investors with the picture of a modern and many-sided city in southern Europe that is still an innovation leader.”

    Why should an American visit the city?

    To soak up its marvelously preserved architecture and urban landscape, its rich patrimony of palazzos, piazzas, and enviable beauty. Its richness can be enjoyed in the enormous patrimony of our museums, the Egyptian and the Mole Antonelliana, in the store of treasures from the early days of film, or by passing through the numerous portrait galleries housing collections of modern and contemporary art. There’s also a surprising blend of music, cuisine, and culture in the city.

    To quote Augusto Monti, Turin remains “a fake indigent,” a city that turns up surprises and attractions. The Department of Tourism in Turin has many package deals to delight in he beauty of Turin and its surroundings, including hotels and resorts and high-end dining.

    Can you tell us more about the relationship between Turin and the 2015 Expo Milan initiative? You’re focusing on Turin’s proximity to Milan to make it a gateway to the Expo.

    Thanks to high-speed trains Turin is a little less than thirty minutes away from the Lombardy capital. Milan’s universal food expo is the perfect occasion to offer the several million visitors from around the continent to take advantage of the initiatives organized by the city. In 2015 Turin will be the European Capital of Sport. It will display the Shroud of Turin and celebrate important anniversaries, such as the bicentenary of Don Bosco, one of the most famous Saints in the Christian tradition.

    You coined the slogan “Bet on Turin.” What does that mean?

    Turin is a city of the new economy and technology
    research. Our city has an entrepreneurial heart that attracts qualified personnel from all over Europe who come here for work and play, thanks to the cultural renaissance we’re experiencing. The automobile infrastructure has been here for a hundred years. Norwegian mining engineers come here to study. There is a General Motors research center here. Turin is a large city and many of its neighborhoods have experienced a
    metamorphosis thanks to the upkeep of industrial areas abandoned by manufacturers on the far outskirts. It’s a great chance for international markets to invest, especially in the city’s north end, where there are still large spaces to redevelop and profit from a flourishing real estate market.

    Any personal tips to share about Turin? What’s your favorite area to walk? Your favorite historical building? Your favorite local dish?

    Turin is a city of extraordinary beauty with a rich history. Its roots stretch to the Roman city of Augusta Taurinorum. I have a lot of favorite spots. The city has many baroque buildings, boulevards, parks along the river, and a precious green hill. The eight-mile stretch of porticoes shading the most elegant shops in the city center is something to be proud of. I would tell an American tourist to visit the museums and portrait galleries, to stroll along the shop-lined streets and have lunch at one of the many traditional trattorias, where they’ve been serving up agnolotti del plin with truffles for a hundred years. Next I’d suggest visiting Palazzo Carignano, where 153 years ago Camillo Cavour brought together the parties that would lead to the unification of Italy, or stop by one of the historic cafes for a bicerin, a delicious concoction made with dark coffee, cocoa powder, and cream.

    For those who can’t make the trip, how can they familiarize themselves with the city from afar? Any books, movies, albums you would recommend?

    Well, they should first get the latest guidebook. As one of the Olympics slogans put it: “Turin never stays still.” Yet one book I’d recommend is a childrens’ book woven with solidarity and sympathy for the less fortunate—which feels very contemporary despite being written 130 years ago—Edmondo De Amicis’ masterpiece “Cuore” (Heart). As for music, I have to admit that Turin puts me in mind of jazz, of its twilit aspects. That should be clear given that I organized a festival for the genre. As for films, there are tons that refer to the city, especially in the last few decades.

    Consider that at least fifty films are shot in Turin every year. But I’m happy to name one that does a good job of showing a certain side of the city: “The Sunday Woman.” The movie is based on a book by Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini, a couple of brilliant, true Turinese writers, and magnificently directed by Luigi Comencini, with an all-star cast including Marcello Mastroianni and Jacqueline Bisset.

    What kind of relationship do you have with New York?

    I have great admiration for the dynamism of the city and its diverse mix of people. It’s a place, one of the most representative of the United States in my opinion, where our co-nationals distinguish themselves every day by their work.

    You have led an important political career.You were the national secretary of your party and a minister before becoming mayor. In the meantime, the Mayor of Florence has become the Prime Minister. The question seems natural even for an American who knows little about Italian politics: what is the relationship between national and local politics in Italy today? How did mayors get to be so important?

    Mayors have direct contact with citizens. Young and old, student and worker turn to their districts for answers. The municipality is the closest representation of the entire public administration. Who knows the woes and aspirations of the territory better than mayors?

    Before we go, let’s talk a moment about the province of Turin. You’re from Avigliana. How does that province continue to define you?

    It’s a town at the onset of the valley of Susa with twelve thousand inhabitants, a very pretty place with two lakes located just under Mount Pirchiriano. On the summit is the 11th century monastery of Sacra di San Michele. It’s mystical as well as extremely beautiful. I feel deeply connected to Avigliana, given my family ties to it. Like me, my grandfather and my father – who was a commander in the Italian resistance movement against Nazi-fascists – were born there. Part of my story and my roots are there.

    **Piero Fassino was born to a traditional socialist family. A member of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) since the late 1960s, he rose to become a national leader. He presided over the transformation of PCI into the Democrats of the Left, of which he became the Secretary in the early 2000s. He is now one of the leaders of the Democratic Party and since 2011 he is the Mayor of Turin.

  • ‘Madreterra’ (Mother Earth). A Lamp for Sardinia

    VERSIONE ITALIANA DELL'ARTICOLO >>>

    What brings Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari design director, at CIMA (Center for Italian Modern Art in New York) on May 1 ?
     

    We find ourselves surrounded by a few selected architects, designers and journalists, in this important centre established in New York in 2013 – the result of the brilliant intuition of its director, Laura Mattioli– to promote the study of Italian modern and contemporary art.
     

    In the air New York’s familiar vitality, around us the masterpieces of the Italian Futurism currently on display, and at the deep end of the room a massive Leucos lamp comes into view. It almost looks alive, like a giant looking down upon us, with its head at the top end of the elongated arm supporting the electrical wires.

    The deep and heartfelt motivation that brought Flavio Manzoni to design the lamp with such care and attention to details, is also the reason behind his presence here. We talk about the lamp with him, seated underneath it, surrounded by the works of Depero, from 1920s, like : “Citta’ Meccanizzata dalle ombre” (City Mechanized by Shadows) and “Cavalcata Fantastica” (Fantastical Ride). Unique atmosphere.

    “I came here to present the projectMadre Terra. New York is one of the stages of the initiative conceived to support the victims of the flood that hit Sardinia on November 18, 2013. I strongly wanted to give a substantial personal contribution to help rebuild one of the worst hit areas of Sardinia.”

    Flavio Manzoni, born in Nuoro, italian pride, today the mind behind the design of the Ferrari masterpieces – he has also designed for  Lancia, Volkswagen, SEAT – this time doesn’t want to talk about his cars. He wants to tell us about his wonderful native land, so gravely wounded. It’s because of Sardinia that he undertook a two day trip to New York bringing with himself only his daughter and a lamp.
     

    How did the idea to raise funds by designing and auctioning a lamp come about?

     “It comes from a previous job I did with Gabriele Cestra and Leucos. A charitable initiative to the benefit of the City of Hope, a clinic in Padova where, together with other designers, we personalized the lamps.

    So I thought, instead of using canvas or any other means, I could use a lamp precisely for its symbolic value. Because it represents the light in itself, and not just hope. It’s something that inherently brings you to highlight and focus on something, to meditate and somehow also generate hope”.
     

    The lamp is dense with details. Some parts are abstract, vaguely resembling fractures on a terrirory that could be imaginary but is actually real… but there are also figurative elements which for Manzoni have an important symbolic value.

    “It describes, in a somehow elaborate way, some sort of stream of consciousness that started when this event happened. I haven’t lived in Sardinia for a very long time, since I was 18. I left it to follow a dream, to become architect and designer. But this tragic flood truly brought me back to my roots, almost fiercely.
     

    So for a few days I let my thoughts flow. Considerations and memories emerged that later played a role in the composition of this work. The object is characterized by two levels, one that we could define abstract or a sort of cosmogram, each figure with its own meaning.
     

    The second level is instead made of figurative and allegorical images evocative of my personal bond with my land. For example, there is an image that reminds me of my father, who passed away a short time before this disaster. I wanted him to be there. But there’s also my son, because when something like this happens you start thinking of how much our relationship with the Earth has radically changed compared to the past. This should make us think, more than anything else, of who will be coming after us.”
     

    A new sense of life from something that was shattered. A positive piece of art…

    “That’s exactly right. The lamp symbolizes light in every way, aslo for its colors and the signs which are mainly red. They almost seem like scracthes, like wounds representing the Earth violated by men, but at the same time symbolizing the human sacrifice, because this is what we are talking about. It has been a huge price to pay for Sardinia. At the base of the lamp you can find the reading key of the work, while the lamp cap itself can be considered the work of art in its entirety.”
     

    Living away from your homeland, to then suddenly rediscover it because of a tragedy. Can you describe how does it feel?

    “The feeling is that the lives that we lead, so frenetic, always overworked, is a life that takes you away from the intimate and symbiotic relationship with your land. Something happened to me that had also happened to Costantino Nivola. He is a great artist cited in the lamp because it’s named Madre Terra. It’s centered around the mediterranean motherly figure, which for us Sardinians symbolizes the earth. Nivola, the greatest sardinian artist of last century, is also very well known here as he worked in New York for many years. He, like me, had strenghtened the bond with his land of origin when he was away from it. Sometimes distance helps you recuperate that sense of belonging and reconciliate yourself with your roots.”

    This lamp is in New York now, it has already been in many other places. What’s the itinerary?

    “It first went to Cagliari, then to the Bologna Art Fair, the Milan Furniture Fair and is now here in New York. It’s about showing it around allowing it to be seen and known. It’ll go on auction at the end of July. There are only three handmade pieces, all unique even if the mold is the same. The funds raised will be used to rebuild the Maria Rocca school in Olbia, which is so badly damaged it cannot be reopened and therefore needs to be rebuilt from scratch. I really wanted to have a very concrete target”.

    Inside the lamp there is an inscription. Can you tell us more about it?

     “The inscription is a metaphor which summarizes the meaning of  Grazia Deledda’s novel “Canne al Vento”. Grazia Deledda was a distinguished writer, she won the Nobel Prize in Literature and during the flow of thoughts I mentioned above some passages of this novel were coming to my mind. There is a character, a servant from a small farm, who worries about the approaching winter and the danger brought by rainfalls. ‘Canne al vento’ (Reeds in the wind) is a metaphor of the human fragility.
     

    What I inscribed in the lamp is : “Reeds in the wind, reeds are the men, wind is the fate that bends them, crashes and curves them, so they can raise again stronger than before”. It’s a message of hope and will to rebuild and reflect on what happened”.

     Hope for the young… what did your daughter tell you during this project?

    “She observed the whole creative process, because I talked often about it. She is very affectioned and truly close to me, so she has a special interest in what I do. She also has her own relationship of geographic distance with Sardinia”.
     

    It’s not easy to describe the gaze of this great designer as he talks about his daughter. To her, maybe without realizing it, he dedicates this lamp, hope for the future of the extraordinary place that Sardinia is.

     ---

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  • Arte e Cultura

    Madreterra. Una lampada per la Sardegna

    ENGLISH VERSION >>>

    Cosa porta Flavio Manzoni, direttore design di Ferrari,  il 1° maggio al CIMA - Center for Italian Modern Art a New York?

    Ci troviamo tra un numero scelto di architetti, designers, giornalisti, in questo importante centro istituito nel 2013 a New York - nato da una grande intuizione della sua direttrice Laura Mattioli -  per promuovere lo studio dell'arte italiana moderna e contemporanea.  

    Nell’aria la consueta energia newyorkese, intorno capolavori del futurismo italiano attualmente in esposizione, e in fondo alla sala campeggia un’enorme lampada Leucos. Lei sembra quasi viva, partecipe, come un gigante ci guarda dall’alto, con la sua testa sopra il lungo braccio che conduce i fili per la luce.  

    E’ proprio questa lampada la responsabile della presenza di Flavio Manzoni, ovvero il profondo e sentito motivo per cui l’ha disegnata con tanta cura. Ne parliamo con lui, seduti sotto di lei, intorno a noi opere di Depero degli anni 20, “Città Meccanizzata dalle Ombre” e “Cavalcata Fantastica”. L’atmosfera è unica.

    “Sono venuto qui a presentare il progetto Madre Terra. New York è una delle tappe di questa iniziativa organizzata a sostegno delle vittime dell’alluvione che ha colpito la Sardegna, il 18 Novembre dell’anno passato. Ho voluto e cercato un contributo personale consistente per aiutare la ricostruzione di una delle zone più colpite della Sardegna.”  

    Flavio Manzoni, nato a Nuoro, orgoglio  italiano, oggi la mente dietro il design dei gioielli di Ferrari - ha disegnato anche per Lancia, Volkswagen, SEAT - questa volta non vuole parlare delle sue macchine. Vuole parlare della sua splendida terra d’orgine, cosi gravemente ferita. E’ per lei che ha fatto un viaggio di due giorni a New York, portando con se solo sua figlia e una lampada.  

    Ma come nasce l’idea di disegnare una lampada e metterla all’asta per raccogliere fondi?

    “Nasce da un precedente lavoro fatto con Gabriele Cestra e con la Leucos. Un’iniziativa benefica fa favore della città della speranza, una clinica di Padova dove, io insieme ad altri designer, abbiamo personalizzato delle lampade. Così ho pensato, anziché utilizzare la tela o qualsiasi altro supporto, di usare la lampada, proprio per il suo carattere simbolico.

    Perché essa stessa è simbolo di luce, quindi non solo di speranza. E’ un oggetto che ti porta comunque a mettere in luce e a focalizzare l’attenzione su un fatto. A meditare e anche in qualche modo a generare speranza.”  

    La lampada è densa di dettagli. Ci sono parti astratte, che sembrano quasi delle fratture su di un territorio immaginario ma  ahimè reale, e ci sono anche elementi figurativi con un valore simbolico importante  per Manzoni.  

    “Racconta in maniera, forse un po’ complessa, una sorta di flusso di coscienza che si è creato dal momento in cui è avvenuto questo fatto.

    Io non vivo in Sardegna da tantissimo tempo, cioè da quando avevo 18 anni. Mi sono spostato dalla Sardegna per seguire un sogno, ovvero quello di diventare architetto e designer. Ma questo tragico alluvione in Sardegna mi ha veramente riportato alle mie radici, in maniera in qualche modo dirompente.  

    Ho lasciato quindi, per alcuni giorni, correre un po’ la mente. Sono nate dentro di me una serie di riflessioni e di memorie che poi sono entrate in gioco nella composizione di questo elaborato. L’oggetto è caratterizzato da due livelli, un livello che potrebbe essere definito astratto o segnico, è quasi un cosmogramma, ci sono delle figure che hanno ognuna un significato.  

    C’è poi un secondo livello che invece è fatto di immagini un po’ più figurative che sono comunque anche esse allegoriche che hanno a che fare con fatti che rievocano il mio legame con la terra. C’è, per esempio, un’immagine che mi ricorda mio padre, venuto a mancare poche settimane prima di questo. Volevo che ci fosse. Così come ad esempio c’è mio figlio nell’opera, perché è chiaro che quando si pensa a un evento del genere si deve riflettere a quanto il nostro rapporto con la terra sia cambiato in maniera radicale rispetto al passato. Questo ci deve far pensare, soprattutto a chi verrà dopo di noi.”  

    Dunque una rinascita che nasce da delle fratture. Un’opera posiva…

    “Esatto, è proprio così. La lampada è un simbolo di luce a tutti gli effetti anche per il suo colore e i segni sono prevalentemente rossi. Appaiono quasi come dei graffi, delle ferite sulla lampada che simboleggiano quindi sia le ferite della terra violata in qualche modo dall’uomo, ma nello stesso tempo il sacrificio umano, perché di questo si tratta. È stato un sacrificio importante per la Sardegna. Nella base della lampada c’è la chiave di lettura dell’elaborato, mentre la calotta è proprio l’elaborato nella sua interezza.”  

    Vivere lontani dalla propria terra, per  poi riscoprirla all’improvviso per una tragedia. Mi puoi descrivere questa sensazione?

    “La sensazione è che la vita che facciamo, e che anche io un po’ faccio, preso dalla frenesia, dal lavoro etc è una vita che sicuramente ti allontana dal rapporto intimo e simbiotico con la terra. Mi sono reso quindi conto che mi è capitato un fatto che è successo anche a Costantino Nivola. E’ un grande artista che nella lampada viene citato perché si chiama Madre Terra. È quindi incentrata sulla figura della madre mediterranea che è il simbolo della terra per noi sardi. Nivola, che è considerato il più grande artista sardo del secolo passato, è molto conosciuto anche qui negli Stati Uniti perché ha operato per molti anni a New York. Anche lui aveva rielaborato questo forte legame con la sua terra proprio nel momento in cui era più distante. Quindi la distanza a volte ti aiuta anche a recuperare quel senso dell’appartenenza e quella riflessione verso le proprie radici.”  

    Questa lampada è ora qui a New York, è già stata in tanti posti. Mi racconti il progetto?

    “E’ stata prima a Cagliari, poi ad Arte Fiera a Bologna, al salone del mobile a Milano e adesso è qui a New York. È un po’ un root show che la deve portare a farla conoscere. Verrà poi messa all’asta fino a fino Luglio. In totale sono tre esemplari unici perché sono stati realizzati a mano. La matrice è la stessa però. L’intenzione è quella di utilizzare il ricavato per contribuire alla ricostruzione di una scuola di Olbia, la scuola Maria Rocca, che è praticamente inagibile e quindi deve essere ricostruita da zero.  Volevo proprio che ci fosse un obiettivo molto concreto.”  

    Dentro la lampada c’è una scritta, mi puoi dire qualcosa di più di quello che leggiamo?

    “La scritta in realtà è una metafora che però sintetizza il significato di un romanzo di Grazia Deledda che è “Canne al Vento”. Grazia Deledda è stata una grandissima scrittrice, premio Nobel e in quel flusso di pensiero di cui parlavo prima mi ritornavano in mente alcuni passaggi di questo libro. C è un personaggio che è un piccolo servitore di un podere che si preoccupa nel suo piccolo dell’inverno che sta arrivando e quindi del pericolo delle piogge. Canne al vento è una metafora della dimensione umana, della fragilità umana. Quello che ho scritto nella lampada è questa metafora: ‘Canne al vento, canne gli uomini, vento la sorte che le piega, le schianta o le curva perché si rialzino più salde’. Quindi è un po’ un messaggio di speranza e di volontà e di ricostruire e di meditare ma nello stesso tempo di ricostruire su quanto è accaduto.”

     

    Speranza per i  giovani, che ti ha detto tua figlia nel corso di questo lavoro ?

    “L’ha osservata in tutto il suo percorso creativo, perché ne ho parlato spesso. Lei è molto affettuosa e molto legata a me quindi mi segue in modo particolare. Anche lei ha questo rapporto con la Sardegna che vive un po’ a distanza”. E non è facile descrivere lo sguardo di questo grande del design che parla della figlia. Si percepisce. A lei, sicuramente forse senza anche accorgersene,  ha dedicato questa lampada, speranza per il futuro di una terra straordinaria come la Sardegna. ---- Altre foto disponibili nella nostra pagina Facebook >>>

  • Style: Articles

    With Massimo Vignelli. Good Design is Responsible Design

    “Good design is responsible design. It expresses intellectual elegance rather than its contrary, vulgarity,” says Vignelli, without a trace of aloofness or snobbery. 

    Those who have been following our conversations will have been gradually taken by surprise by

    Vignelli. He’s punctilious, yes, but not boring. He “believes” in discipline but not dogma; he is disciplined and dynamic, flexible and coherent, even if he speaks his own language.
     

    Last time, we spoke about a change he made to his own house. There had been books covering his living room table. A lot of books. We were stunned to discover that Vignelli had figured out how to restore rigor to that space “with a beautiful hidden bookcase. I saw one in Ikea.

    The books will be here but you won’t see them and everything will be in order.” So, no top-of-the-line designers? Just a piece of furniture from Ikea that everyone can afford? “Yes, you can find excellent design pieces there! Good, clean designs made with a minimum amount of labor and great modularity.That’s how you do design.”
     
    So here we are, standing beside his hidden bookcases in a space where every contour has been thought out, including the profile of its owner/architect. “Beautiful, right?” says Massimo.
     

    “They’re beautiful because they’re out of sight.” He smiles and continues talking about design in his accessible, pared-down way. “Yes, my style is minimalist. Every language has its rules, everyone has his own style and rules, and that’s why every house is different. My style is more minimalist. You need to take away, take away until there is something left.” The bookcases from Ikea are a case in point.

    Once again, everything about the house of Massimo and Lella Vignelli suggests a life devoted to design, an intellectual journey culminating in that famous slogan: “Design is one.” What does that mean in laymen’s terms? “‘Design Is One’ was the title of my lecture. The idea goes back to the Viennese [Adolf] Loos, who believed that an architect must know how to do everything, from a spoon to a city. Loos was against specialization because specialization led to entropy and entropy led to the end of creativity.Indee you must be able to design everything—furniture, graphics, packaging, agendas, books, even the clothes I’m wearing. And Lella has designed amazing jewelry. We designed what I’m wearing. I designed the watch too. In our house, everything is designed by us—the chairs and the tables; I designed the books I often read. I live in a space almost completely designed by me. With few exceptions.”
     

    “I love my work because ‘design is one.’ It’s one profession, one attitude. As Italians, we have a long history of codifying design in this way. It has existed for centuries. It was the same for Leonardo da Vinci. In Italy, after the war, we had to do everything ... architects like myself did everything ... The discipline was thesame. The way of thinking, coming up with solutions, was always the same. The mental process was the same and the mental process was discipline. This didn’t exist in American culture. American culture is the culture of specialization. Ours, on the other hand, is the culture of the generalist. Specialists didn’t arrive in Europe till later. So in America in 1977, architecture was facing a crisis. In Italy we thought, ‘But in Europe architects do everything! Not just houses but furniture, and so on!’ That’s how I got my start in America doing the same thing being practiced in Europe.”

    And that gave rise to the concept of the coordinated image on which you based your relationship with clients? “Yes, the total coordination of an image is essential. One image for everything, from the logo of a museum to its catalogues to the exhibitions. Or for a company, you begin with the logo to get to the product, the letterhead, the packaging, the store, the displays.” In Vignelli’s opinion, a system of visual identity allows an entity to differentiate itself and become unmistakably recognizable.
     

    Speaking of clients, may we ask what’s the difference between an artist and a designer? “Design is always bound by its relationship with others. Self-expression is the jobofartists. They’retheopposite ofdesigners. Theartistanswers tonoone. Thedesigneralways answers to someone. If you want to make a fork, you have to make a fork someone can eat with, not one that makes it impossible to eat.You can’t make a knife that’s just a blade or just a handle, because striking the right balance of blade and handle is essential tousingit. Thefirstpartinvolves the object itself, the next involves whoismakingtheobject. That doesn’t mean that there’s no room for invention, but there are restrictions.”
     
     

    And what about the difference between designers and stylists? “Everything depends upon methodology. For example, when a fashion designer creates a style he doesn’t follow a designer’s method. He follows a stylist’s. Styling is futile, disposable. Design is in crisis, not design itself but the mechanism behind it... A lot of younger people think they’re doing design when they’re really stylists.They don’t understand the mental process of design. They think the answer to a situation is to restyle it.”
     

    This is our last “philosophical” conversation with Massimo Vignelli. Next time, having absorbed a few concepts, we’ll get down to details.Together we’ll look at a few design objects by him as well as objects by others that have made their way into his life—and ours.

  • Life & People

    “Chiara” by Dacia Maraini. From One Woman to Another

    Maraini’s new novel is rife with messages for today’s society, especially women. After the launch, I got a chance to interview her for our television program and dig deeper into some of the book’s themes.

    Maraini retains a simplicity like few women of her stature. Her eyes convey her intelligence, composure, and deep curiosity as she gently scrutinizes her interlocutors.

    The generous way Maraini embraces any and all has never ceased to amaze me. Her easygoing spirit comes across even when she commands a stage. Her enormous gift for storytelling, both as an author and an academic, is leavened by her remarkable genuineness. One more thing about her has always impressed me: her intense and eternal femininity.

    Author, critic, playwright, and newspaper columnist, Dacia Maraini is one of the most widely translated Italian writers. Never one to cower, she has devoted her time and energy to social causes for decades now, continuously fighting for women’s rights.

    In “Chiara from Assisi: Praise of Disobedience,” Maraini tells the story of one woman’s journey toward sanctity, as she follows—barefoot—

    Saint Francis from Assisi to live a life of poverty. But over the course of the novel, you begin to realize that this girl is stepping into our own world, where she exists to this day.

    “We can look at her choice to live in poverty with modern eyes,” says Maraini. “What she used to call the ‘privilege of poverty’ is a very important step. Owning nothing. It’s a profound way of seeing possession as a limitation. A person with nothing is free. She sets a good example for today’s world, where if you don’t possess things you’re apparently worth nothing.”

    The novel follows its own fascinating path, rich with human and historic curiosities. Its approach is intellectual but warm. From one woman to another.

    Maraini’s laic spiritual fervor is apparent. Her descriptions and introspections stir in us a need to transcend ourselves, to find our own way towards religious meaning. Whether we believe or not.

     “We can’t not define ourselves Christians,” said Maraini, quoting Benedetto Croce. Indeed, Maraini’s interest in Christianity and the Medieval Church has led her to respect the institution.

    “I have been studying mystics for many years,” she tells me, “and I gained access to to them through their literature. There are extraordinary facts to be known that are unfortunately closed behind monastery doors. Through literature I reached the actual people. One of them is Chiara, a strong, energetic, and intelligent woman, but above all a model of idealism.

    “[Chiara] has great dignity,” continues Maraini. “She was the first woman to write a law. She opposed the hierarchical structure of the convent, which was not unlike the society around her. She fought against hierarchies to ensure all sisters were treated the same. She performed the most humble jobs. The Church back then was rich and powerful, a real empire.”

    Thus Chiara ‘s disobedience should be seen as a journey toward consciousness. 

    “Chiara evokes an Italy we know little about,” says Maraini, “self-reliant and mysterious, respectful of the religious order.” Like Francis, Chiara wanted to be disobedient and innovative, but still remain inside the Church.

    “Her disobedience is not selfish, it’s ethical. Remember Antigone: ‘Disobey human law to respect a higher law, the law of our own conscience.’”

    For the saint, poverty becomes the means to purchase freedom.

    So why this book? And how much does Maraini relate to the democratic saint committed to her ideals till the end?

    Says Maraini: “…I believe that people who have pursued their ideals unconditionally should be better acknowledged.”

    The conversation at Casa Zerilli-Marimo’ ranges from mysticism to Chiara to Dacia Maraini’s own life, including her internment in a concentration camp when she was a young girl. She also commented the mafia and Judge Falcone, and expressed her hope for Italy, a country full of resources, despite its problems. And, of course, the new Pope came up.

    “I have found a lot of Pope Francis in this story. The new Pontiff reconnects with the tradition of the true word of Christ. It’s not about war, hate, or violence. It’s about love and dialogue. I believe this Pontiff is doing it the right way. And this is an important message for everyone, including non-believers.”

    And thanks to my intense (I admit nocturnal) reading of the novel, I can add a couple more observations.

    Women still have to strive harder than men to be taken seriously. The legacy of the tenacious Saint from Assisi is beneficial. Only by fighting determinedly yet not aggressively can we enact real change. Only by being ourselves, without resorting to violence or self-exploitation, can we ensure that no one will take advantage of us.

    This, too, I read between the lines of Dacia Maraini’s latest work.

     

     
     
     

  • Tourism

    The Eternal City: 3000 Years and Not Feeling Them (Almost)

    The Dying Gaul, a masterpiece of antiquity from the first or second century AD, is on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington through March 16th. Yet another work of art to visit the States just months after the Boxer at the Met, the Dying Gaul left Rome to act as the Italian capital’s spokesperson overseas. It is the Dying Gaul’s first trip since Napoleon carried it off to Paris in 1797. This time, the statue was personally accompanied by the mayor of Rome, whom we met up with in New York.

    “It’s an extremely valuable statue, one of the most beautiful in our museums, but it’s also kind of an ‘ambassadorial’ symbol of how we would like the world to see Rome in the coming years,” says Marino, just before attending a lunch organized by the Columbus Citizens Foundation.

    “My administration and I think that Rome needs to gain back its international role and bolster its relationship with the United States. Rome has an extraordinary wealth of art and culture and archaeological artifacts, which mustn’t simply be hoarded. They must be appreciated. To do that we want to pool those intelligences and resources that exist throughout the world, beginning with the US.”

    The exhibition in Washington is part of the “Dream of Rome” project. How did it get that name? “It’s a name that resonates, I think, with the entire planet. When someone faraway plans his trip to Rome, whether he be in San Francisco or Oklahoma or Kansas City or New York, he has the impression he’s planning or designing the trip of his life. Rome is a city that’s been around for almost 3,000 years; you can find the origins of our planet’s civilization here, from jurisprudence to art to science. So I think it’s very important that we not only restore an eternal role to the city of Rome, but share it with the rest of the planet as well. For example, I think that a street everybody knows, Via dei Fori Imperiali, needs to undergo some changes if we want to keep up the digs to reunify the whole project for the largest archaeological park on the planet. In fact, it makes for a unique, marvelous space to really work on, and I believe that such an effort can involve scholars, archaeologists, and people who have social and political responsibilities outside our country.”

    So the intention is to bring Rome to America and then bring America back to Italy and Rome. You lived abroad for a long time, particularly in the US. If I’m not mistaken you have dual citizenship...

    “I do have dual citizenship— American and Italian. I lived and worked in the United States for almost 20 years. At a certain point, I thought it was opportune to apply for American citizenship, for many reasons. One reason was that I got a lot from this country: I mostly owe my training as a transplant surgeon to the US, and, clearly, after having lived here for so long, I feel closely connected to the country.”

    And you’ve seen firsthand how Rome is perceived and was perceived here. You are in a unique position to acquaint Americans with the Eternal City. You know how to describe it, how to engage the popular imagination...

    “Of course this country has changed a lot since I first came here, around the mid-Eighties, now that we’re in the third millennium. Remembering how Italy was perceived back then still brings a smile to my face. In the Eighties, almost 90% of United States citizens didn’t have passports. That means that only a small part of the society traveled, knew Italy, Europe, and the rest of the world.

    I remember one day, during the first years I was specializing in transplant surgery, the head nurse on my ward (a ward with state-of-the-art technology that performed as many as 500 liver transplants a year) asked me if we had refrigerators in Italy. That was the idea they had of Italy and it was linked to the fact that the world communicated in a much slower way back then; there was no internet, no social networks, no Facebook. Today the knowledge of Italy in this country is clearly more vast from many points of view—cultural, gastronomic, intellectual, political, social—and I think that both countries have benefited as a result.”

    On a personal level, if you had to convince an American to return to or visit the city for the first time in just a few words, what would you say?

    “I would say that Rome is still the capital of the largest artistic, cultural, and archaeological patrimony on the planet, and an American can discover the origins of most of Western Civilization here. Here, he can gain a greater understanding of where he comes from, and that helps us decide which direction we want to be heading in.”

    You might say Rome is a city for everybody. It also has a long Jewish heritage that ties it to New York too. You might say that’s a real point of comparison...

    “Right. Rome is not only known for being the center of Christianity, for obvious reasons, it is also home to the oldest Jewish community in Italy and Europe. The Jewish community is very important to Rome. It has been for millennia. Unfortunately in the last century it suffered horribly. Under Mussolini’s dictatorship we had race laws, deportations, extermination—those had a dramatic affect on the city, a significant impact on the history of our community, meaning the community as a whole: the urban community of Rome. At the same time, you shouldn’t forget that Rome has the largest mosque in Italy and the largest Buddhist temple on the entire European continent. Rome is in a privileged position to act as a port of call, a cultural melting pot, and a religious mecca.

    The number of itineraries to plan in Rome is endless, and unfortunately we don’t have enough space here to mention them all. So, on a personal level again, since I know you love biking, what itinerary would you recommend for someone biking through the city?

    “Definitely the historic center of Rome, starting with Piazza del Popolo, crossing Via del Corso, stopping by Via del Tritone and the area around the Trevi Fountain. Then I’d head back www.i-Italy.org 05_TOURISM-Roma-lilith.indd 57 toward Piazza di Spagna and connect up with Via del Babuino again. I’d make a brief detour to Via Margutta, which I think is marvelous. If the sun’s out, it’s bound to be an unforgettable itinerary.”

    Is Via Margutta still the street of artists? Is it full of galleries?

    “It’s still packed with artists and antique shops. Unfortunately, like many artistic hubs—the same is happening in a city like Venice—the cost of real estate is too high. So space can often be taken up by people with fewer ties to the art world.”

    Let me ask you a couple of quick questions that might also serve as recommendations for tourists. What’s your favorite Roman dish?

    “Cacio e pepe, for sure. Very simple, and very typical.”

    Your favorite film about Rome?

    “Rome, Open City by Rossellini.”

    Your favorite Roman song, or song about Rome?

    “Roma Non Fa’ la Stupida Stasera is a beautiful song. It brings together the idea that this city has an enormous artistic patrimony and great beauty, from its beautiful river to its pleasant, mild climate year- round to its monuments, lights, and colors. And there’s work to be done on that front, too: the Tiber has to be cleaned up and made livable for the whole year.”

    I’m sure you have many projects underway or in the works. In your opinion, what’s the most important project related to tourism that you’re working on at this moment?

    “Public transportation, without a doubt. We intend to make public transportation more efficient and fully functioning by increasing the number of new buses as well as the so-called “iron rails,” our tramways. We are also adding a bike sharing program to the options of urban transportation. Given the way Rome is built, getting around with these means will be faster, more efficient, ad also more charming, in my opinion.”

  • Arte e Cultura

    “Chiara” di Dacia Maraini. Da donna a donna

    Una semplicità che poche donne di successo sanno mantenere. Nei suoi occhi sempre serenità e consapevolezza, intensa curiosità.  Scruta gli interlocutori con dolcezza.

    Mi sorprende sempre la sensazione di familiarità  e generosità con cui accoglie  chiunque. Anche quando parla da sopra un palco, di fronte ad una platea. Ha un’infinita capacità di raccontare, lo fa da autrice e studiosa, ma è anche una persona splendidamente autentica. E un’altra cosa di lei mi colpisce da sempre: la sua intensa e perenne femminilità.
     

    Dacia Maraini,  scrittrice, critica, drammaturga, editorialista di diverse testate, è uno dei nomi della letteratura italiana più tradotti nel mondo. Sempre in prima linea si spende da decenni in temi sociali, mantenendo costante il proprio impegno femminista.
     

    Questa volta la vedo  parlare a New York - presso la Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò – dopo l’introduzione dal direttore Stefano Albertini, del  suo ultimo lavoro: “Chiara di Assisi. Elogio della disobbedienza”.

    L’accompagna in questa presentazione la studiosa di NYU, Jane Tylus,  tra le sue opere: “Reclaiming Catherine of Siena’.

     
    In “Chiara di Assisi. Elogio della disobbedienza” Maraini racconta di una donna mistica in un percorso non solo di santità, ma anche di grande dignità e umanità.
     
     
    Mi fermerò a riflettere con la scrittrice al termine dell’evento. Questo mio articolo vuole raccontare  il suo libro passando attraverso tre momenti: la  mia lettura, le parole scambiate personalmente con la scrittrice, un breve resoconto dell’incontro pubblico.
     
    Quella di Chiara è  certo la  storia di quella giovane donna che, a piedi scalzi, seguì Francesco d’Assisi per vivere in povertà. Ma, se leggete il romanzo, vi rendete conto che è  anche il racconto di una  ragazza  che, di pagina in pagina, entra lievemente nel nostro mondo e si fa scoprire attuale.
     
    “Possiamo guardala con gli occhi di oggi la sua decisione della poverta” mi dice Maraini “quello che lei chiamava ‘privilegio della poverta’ è un passo molto importante. Non possedere nulla. Un’idea molto profonda del possesso come limite. Chi non possiede è libero. In un mondo come quello di oggi, dove se non possiedi sembri non valere niente, è un bel esempio da seguire”
     
    Il percoso che l’autrice ci fa intraprendere nel suo romanzo è affasciante, ricco di curiosità storica e umana. Il suo approccio è intellettuale ma denso di tenerezza. Da donna a donna, con Chiara.
     
    Sotto i nostri occhi la sua profonda religiosità laica nel raccontare quella libertà di Chiara di essere "nudi al mondo". Con le sue descrizioni e introspezioni, la scrittrice stuzzica anche la capacità e la necessità di trascendere dentro di noi, di trovare a nostra volta una via verso una nostra religiosità, un senso religioso. Che si creda o no. 
     
    E non a caso nella sua conversazione la laica Dacia Maraini, citando Benedetto Croce, dice: “Non possiamo non dirci cristiani.”
     
    Il suo interesse per il Cristianesimo e la Chiesa soprattutto medioevale, racconta al pubblico, la rende estremamente rispettosa.   “Sono tanti anni che mi occupo delle mistiche - mi dice quando le chiedo perchè questo libro -  sono arrivata a loro attraverso la letteratura che hanno scritto. Ci sono cose straordinarie, purtroppo poco conosciute e tenute chiuse nei conventi. Dunque, attraverso la letteratura, sono arrivata anche  alle persone. Una di queste è Chiara, una donna di grande forza e di grande energia di intelligenza e soprattutto un modello di idealismo “
     
    Di Chiara dice: “Ha una grande dignità. E’ stata la prima donna a scrivere una regola. Lei contrastò l’organizzazione apicale del convento che non era diversa da quella della società dei suoi tempi.  Si impose perchè non esistessero gerarchie e perchè tutte le consorelle fossero uguali. Lei per prima fece i lavori più umili. La Chiesa allora era era ricchissima, potente, era un vero impero.” La disobbedienza di Chiara quindi va considerata all’interno di un consapevole  percorso.
     
    “Chiara narra un’Italia che conosciamo poco, autonoma e misteriosa, ma non senza rispetto dell’ordine.” dice nel corso della presentazione . Si perchè Chiara, come San Francesco, voleva rinnovare la Chiesa disobbedendo, ma rimanendo al suo interno.
     
     
    Mi dice “ La disobbedienza di cui parlo/parla non riguada il proprio egoismo. E’ un fatto etico. Ricorda Antigone. Disobbedisci alle legge umana, terrena per il rispetto di una legge più importante: quella della coscienza.”
     
    E la povertà diventa per la santa strumento potente di libertà. “Viviamo in una società dove il denaro da il potere. Quello di Chiara è un insegnamento che vale fino ad oggi.”
     
    Perchè scrivere questo libro? E quanto c’è di Dacia in Chiara?  La santa era una donna coerente, democratica, fedele al suo ideale fino alla fine.
     
    La scrittrice mi risponde: “Per esempio l’ammirazione per l’idealismo in un Paese come l’Italia che attraverso gli stereotipi è conociuto per essere poco idealista. Io penso che pesonaggi che hanno portato fino in fondo i loro ideali vadano conosciuti meglio”.
     
     
    La conversazione sul palco dell’auditorio della Casa Italiana  tocca temi legati al misticismo, alla storia di Chiara ma anche alcune testimonianze della vita di Dacia Maraini.  Come il ricordo di quando fu rinchiusa, insieme alla sua famiglia, in un campo di concentramento. Non sono mancati neanche cenni a temi come la mafia (ricorda il giudice Falcone) e dichiarazioni  di grande speranza per un Italia piena di risorse.
     
    E naturalmente è venuto in mente il nuovo Papa . “Ho trovato molto di Papa Francesco  in questa storia. Il nuovo pontefice si ricollega a quella tradizione che ritorna alla parola di Cristo. Non si parla di Guerra, di odio, di violenze. Ma di amore e dialogo. Credo che questo Pontefice ci stia provando nel modo giusto. E questo è un importante messaggio per tutti, anche per chi non crede.”
     
    E grazie alla mia - confesso notturna – intensa lettura del romanzo  aggiungo altre due considerazioni sul percorso di Chiara che Maraini ci ha raccontato con grande letteratura.
     
    Ancora oggi noi donne dobbiamo lottare più di un uomo per essere considerate. L’insegnamento e la testardaggine della santa di Assisi può esserci utile. Possiamo cambiare qualcosa solo se combattiamo senza aggressività, ma con determinazione. Rimanendo noi stesse, senza usare strumenti violenti.  Con l’onestà della nostra differenza. Senza scegliere strade facili come quella di usare per esempio il proprio corpo. Solo così nessuno penserà di avere il diritto di usarci a sua volta.
     
    Nelle pagine dell’ultimo libro di Dacia Maraini ho trovato anche questo.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

  • Arte e Cultura

    I 'lavori in corso' di Gianmaria Testa


    Nei luoghi dei concerti, durante le prove, i tecnici locali ci guardano curiosi e credo pensino a Babele.

    Sappiamo che non è così.

    Tutto questo girare ci ha regalato un linguaggio strano e condiviso che è già musica prima di suonare.

    Passiamo il Brennero senza sosta di dogana.

    Ognuno portandosi dentro, aperta, la sua frontiera.


    Gianmaria Testa



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    "Men at Work" si confida con te e ti mette in faccia la realtà. Con ventitre canzoni che ripercorrono una ventennale carriera. Pensieri e desideri, storie vere, denunce attaverso le note on the road che svestono l’autore e creano l’incanto di una poesia pura, che attraversa lo spazio, intorno e dentro di noi.

     
    Cantautore e chitarrista, Gianmaria Testa nella sua “prima vita” ha fatto il capostazione nelle ferrovie italiane. La sua musica continua  a raccontare spostamenti, traghettamenti di diverso tipo.  Narra il viaggio che questa vita ci fa fare, attraverso le sue difficili tappe. Con le sue soste a volte forzate, con le strade da lasciare, da scegliere e con quelle che, troppo spesso, vengono imposte.

     
    Testa ha una voce vera, viva, una sonorità che attaversa l’aria con calore e ti avvolge con semplicità.   E' un autore generoso che vive quello che scrive.  Sveste la propria anima con pensieri snocciolati in musica,  conquista e lascia chi lo ascolta a sua volta un pò nudo.

     
    Si confida, si confessa, provoca, taglia con i suoi versi la nostra mente. E le denunce pure e limpide, che a volte escono tra una nota e l’altra, colgono nel segno con la migliore poesia. Come sempre fa la migliore poesia.

     
    'Men At Work' , è un doppio album live in cui Testa narra il suo viaggio tournée in Germania insieme a musicisti amici, come Giancarlo Bianchetti, Philippe Garcia e Nicola Negrini.
    Le note sono le sue: inconfondibili. Con un pò di tango, del rock, bossa nova, ballate classiche, blues…. Una musica ‘poliglotta’ diremmo, come vogliono essere  le sue parole in musica in giro per il mondo,  quando vedi il pubblico ipnotizzato persino dal dialetto piemontese. Le parole vengono afferrate nella loro intensità e non si ha bisogno di traduzione.

     
    E il disco raccoglie le migliori suggestioni della canzone d’autore italiana. I temi affrontati sono importanti e delicati. Anche se solo sfiorati a volte, sono profondi e approfonditi. Scavano nella nostra coscienza.


    Testa suona, recita e canta di lavoro perso o tolto, di migrazioni vicine e lontane, di amore e morte,   di violenze ma anche di speranza … I suoni, in genere ben misurati, possono anche salire e lo fanno un pò seguendo l’intensità del tema. Come  capita - per esempio -  nella lettera di licenziamento di "Cordiali saluti".

     
    Le emozionanti canzoni sugli emigranti - prese dall'album "Da questa parte del mare" -  dovrebbero essere parte di un programma di insegnamento nelle scuole. Ascoltarle nel contesto di questo doppio album sono ancora più incisive, vere. Importanti in questa vita che chiude porte e frontiere, che lascia indifferenti.

     
    Perchè il titolo "Men at work “ ? Risponde Gianmaria Testa: “Perchè parlo di lavoro, ma anche perché è ora di finirla con l'immaginare che arrivi qualcuno per salvarci dalla crisi. Occorre mettersi al lavoro insieme per superarla”. Lavori in corso, quindi.  Ed è un vero viaggio costruttivo quindi quello di questo grande della musica d'autore italiana.

     


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