Going Public '04 - Press Release

Maps, confines, new geographies.

PUBLIC ART& TERRITORIAL PROJECT 2004
Culture Department of the Province of Modena
aMAZE cultural lab (www.amaze.it)

A12, AES Group, Collettivo Zapruder, Chantal Akerman, Ofri Cnaani, Gibilterra Project (f/p + f/z), Sigalit Landau, Hariklia Hari, Zaphos Xagoraris, Hassan Khan, Multiplicity, Ahlam Shibli, Torolab, Thomas Hirschhorn.

9 october / 9 dicember
Urban interventions, workshops, movies, public debats

As often happens, art finds itself a step ahead of cultural and social events. In 2003 during the Philosophy Festival, Going Public (created by the aMAZE cultural lab) had already offered an exhibition project on an international level. It brought together cultural aspects from various different countries around the world, paying particular attention to those in Latin America, and relating them to the urban and territorial culture of Modena. On that occasion, the concept of MOBILITY in contemporary society was brought to the fore (a concept present at the Mobilitaly Ministry of Culture event in December 2003 in Rome, at ARCO'04 Madrid, Spazio Mirta Demare, Rotterdam and at Middlesex University London).

The 2004 event will revolve around an analysis of such pressing topics as the world-wide problem of borders, of their apparent "mobility and flexibility" and the new territories. International debates, geopolitical considerations and the mass media have a strong bearing on the new notion of "maps", which are often impossible to trace. These "maps" thus constitute an abstract idea more than a possible or probable layout to be traced on an atlas. The limits of the major international conflicts now appear to be almost impossible to pin down, lost in the haze of strategic plans which are incomprehensible to all but a few.

Geography, walls, confines, boundaries - be they physical or mental and cultural. Since the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall, up to the Israeli Map, via the Balkans and Iraq, from Afghanistan to Tibet, or from Cecenia to the wall of Sudan. These are just some of the possible interaction scenarios open for artistic, poetic, urbanistic, literary, cinematographic interventions apart from the obvious political, geographical or historical ones.

The proposal concerns a series of international artists and architects from Israel, Palestina, Cyprus, Lebanon, Mexico, Russia, France, Italy who will produce works on a chosen topic especially for the event, with a couple of workshops to be held involving local communities, the general public, and schools.

Video Room is a cycle of art and documentary videos dedicated the itmes correlated with new geographies, which will be shown on a big screen, at the Cinema Sala Truffaut.

What's more, there is also a public debate planned - a study day open to the public, to examine the topics mentioned with the contributions of experts in the field.

The idea is to create a sort of alternative world atlas, drawing up new possible borders with more respect for people and small communities, with new communication strategies between different peoples, with the lowering of barriers.

A book (Silvana Ed.) will be published with the different artists projects, critical texts, and essays by: Eyal Wiezman, Franco Farinelli, Hou Hanrou, Kamal Boullata, Jean -Francois Chevrier, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Socrates Stratis, Slavoj Zizek...

Going Public '04 is created by aMAZE lab, edited by Claudia Zanfi;

The event is promoted by PROVINCIA DI MODENA.

In collaboration with Archivi Fotografici Panini, Biblioteca Civica Delfini Circuito Cinema, Galleria D406, Istituto d'Arte Venturi, ATCM, Cento Stazioni.

With the partecipation of:
- Regione Emilia Romagna
- DARC, Ministry of Culture, Arts and Architecture, Rome
- Fondazione Pistoletto, Biella
- Connecting Cultures, Milano
- Fondazione Adriano Olivetti, Roma
- Qattan Foundation, London/Ramallah

Board members:
>Claudia Zanfi, crittica d'arte e ideatrice del progetto
>Luigi Benedetti, Presidenza Provincia di Modena
>Lauretta Longagnani, Assessorato Cultura Provincia di Modena
>Carlos Basualdo, curatore NYC + Biennale Venezia
>Josè Ignacio Roca, curatore Bogotà e Madrid
>Michelle Marxuach, direzione Biennale Porto Rico
>Sania Papa, direzione Contemporary Museum Tessalonica
>Bartolomeo Pietromarchi, direttore artistico Fondazione Olivetti, Roma
>Catherine David, direttore Witte de With, Rotterdam
>Cuauhtémoc Medina, curatore Mexico + Tate Liverpool
>Ute Noll, photoeditor "Frankfurter Rundschau"
>Jerome Sans, direttore Palais de Tokio, Parigi
>Anna Detheridge, fondatrice "Connecting Cultures" + giornalista Sole 24 Ore