HAYASTAN
VERAZNUNT
Lello Lopez – Antonello Matarazzo
Opening Night
8th September 2011, 6:30 pm
8th September – 15th October 2011
Palazzo Zenobio per l’Arte
Fondamenta del Soccorso 2596 – Venice
HAYASTAN – VERAZNUNT seeks to explore and communicate the story of the Armenian people, along with the genocides in 1894 and 1915, which then led the survivors to flee their home country. Such dramatic events are still somehow unknown; an additional historical injustice to both the victims of the massacre and the later generations. The artists who take part in the event share a constant research on social and cultural matters that, in a variety of contexts and at different levels of observation, investigates the human conscience and its daily existence. By means of a creative dialogue and different expressive media, ranging from installations to paintings, Lello Lopez and Antonello Matarazzo pay homage to the Armenian people by revising individual and collective stories.
Lello Lopez-2011-Untitled-marking pen on digital photo-cm160x220
Lello Lopez presents Hayastan (2009-2011), an installation focusing on the reality of a determined people that is born again despite being violently uprooted from a land of origin that has never been forgotten and yet, is fading into a naïf remembrance across generations. Finally, a unifying meditation further explores the common elements of each conflict. A masterly Stabat Mater on the background reminds, through obsessive repetitions, that behind every man, victim or executioner, there is a mother.
Antonello Matarazzo presents the Veraznut (The rebirth – 2008) video-installation, outcome of an archival study on stories, texts and documents about the Armenian Genocide. With great wit and communicative power, the artist narrates the acts of violence suffered by an Armenian family as referred by Pascual Avedìs Abramian in his tales. The aim of the work is to give voice to the rebirth of a group of people marked on its identity and family intimacy. In the video, the main voice blends with an Armenian liturgical song of the Mekhitarista Congregation of Venice, as to stress its deep sacrality.
Antonello Matarazzo-Veraznut (The rebirth – 2008)
HAYASTAN – VERAZNUNT
is a project by sudlab.com
Curated by
Ignazio Maria Colonna – Chiara Pirozzi
Event managers
Maria Ines Abramian – Antonio Perna
Acknowledgements
Curators Ignazio Maria Colonna – Chiara Pirozzi
Event Management Maria Ines Abramian – Antonio Perna
Web Art Director Rosaria Millo
Press Office Diana Caccavale, Clementina Crocco, Francesca Di Fraia
Technical Staff Antonio Protano, Giampiero Sapienza
INFO SUDLAB ITALIA
www.sudlab.com – info@sudlab.com
Tel. +39 081 274763 – Mob +39 3920853880
Sponsors qmediastudio.com, idearecasa.com
..)(..
SUDLAB ITALIA è lieto di presentare:
LELLO LOPEZ – ANTONELLO MATARAZZO
HAYASTAN – VERAZNUNT
A cura di Ignazio Maria Colonna e Chiara Pirozzi
Dal 9 settembre al 15 ottobre 2011
Inaugurazione: giovedì 8 settembre 2011 ore 19.00
Palazzo Zenobio per l’Arte – Fondamenta del Soccorso 2596 – Venezia
HAYASTAN – VERAZNUT nasce con l’intento di approfondire e comunicare la storia della popolazione armena, vittima del duplice genocidio, avvenuto nel 1894 e nel 1915, e costretta alla diaspora dalla propria terra natia. La drammaticità delle vicende armene è tutt’oggi poco ricordata, conosciuta e riconosciuta come tale, generando per le vittime del massacro e per i loro discendenti un’ulteriore ingiustizia storica.
Gli artisti invitati sono accomunati da una costante ricerca su questioni sociali e culturali che, in contesti e livelli di osservazione differenti, giungono ad indagare l’animo umano e il suo quotidiano. Attraverso un dialogo fecondo, e attraverso media espressivi differenti che vanno dalla video installazione alla pittura, Lello Lopez e Antonello Matarazzo rendono omaggio al popolo armeno, attraverso la rielaborazione artistica di storie personali e collettive.
Lello Lopez presenta Hayastan (2009-2011), un’installazione che cerca di indagare, da occhio esterno, una realta’ di popolo che nonostante un’apparente decimazione, riesce a rinascere con forza e verve, anche se sradicato dalle proprie origini, che giammai, pero’, vengono dimenticate, anche se lentamente sbiadiscono attraverso le generazioni, in un ricordo tendente al naïf.
Una finale meditazione unificatrice, cerca di indagare in maniera piu’ ampia gli elementi comuni ad ogni conflitto: un magistrale Stabat Mater di sottofondo ci ricorda, attraverso ripetizioni ossessive, che ogni uomo, sia esso vittima o carnefice, ha alle spalle una madre misericordiosa, pronta a piangere il proprio figlio, o le sue azioni.
Antonello Matarazzo presenta la video installazione Veraznut (La rinascita) (2008), il lavoro è frutto di uno studio d’archivio su testimonianze, testi e documenti che affrontano la questione del genocidio armeno. Con una forte valenza espressiva ed evocativa, Antonello Matarazzo narra le violenze subite da una famiglia armena, a partire dai racconti di Pascual Avedìs Abramian. L’opera vuole dar voce alla rinascita di un popolo segnato nella propria identità collettiva e nelle intimità familiari. Nel video la voce in primo piano si fonde con il canto liturgico armeno della “Congregazione Mekhitarista” di Venezia, come a sottolinearne l’intima sacralità.
Il lavoro di Lello Lopez si fonda su un vissuto fatto di contatti con persone che fanno parte della sua realtà, frequentandola con cadenza quotidiana. Si stabiliscono così relazioni che sono esperienza concreta di un mondo concreto. Queste interazioni si manifestano attraverso l’installazione multimediale che è il mezzo di comunicazione scelto affinché l’esperienza-verità sia riproposta.
Antonello Matarazzo, pittore, regista e video artista, dal 1990 è impegnato nella ricerca nel campo delle arti visive. Il suo lavoro si colloca nella più recente tendenza denominata “Medialismo”, intesa come integrazione dei vari media (fotografia, pittura, video ecc.). Il baricentro e trait d’union tra pittura, video e video installazioni è costituito dalla marcata inclinazione nell’approfondimento degli aspetti introspettivi e antropologici dell’umano.
Crediti evento
Curatori:
Ignazio Maria Colonna, Chiara Pirozzi
Event Management:
Maria Ines Abramian, Antonio Perna
Web Art Director:
Rosaria Millo
Ufficio Stampa:
Diana Caccavale, Clementina Crocco, Francesca Di Fraia
Staff tecnico:
Antonio Protano, Giampiero Sapienza
Info
SUDLAB ITALIA
II Viale Melina, 4-6
80055 Portici,(Na)Italy
www.sudlab.com
info@sudlab.com
Tel. +39 081 274763
– Mob +39 3920853880
Sponsor: Qmediastudio.com, Idearecasa.com
LINK
http://www.sudlab.com/mostra-arte-contemporanea-venezia.html
http://www.lellolopez.it/
..)(..
English critical texts by Maria Ines Abramian
VERAZNUNT (La Rinascita) by Antonello Matarazzo – http://www.antonellomatarazzo.it/
Going back to the starting point at the research work you developed about movement and archive photographs we join the “technological-moment” that hypnotize picture main caracthers while waiting for the camera shooting. But this time, your video goes further on.
The study you went through is excellent as far as it allowed you to learn about the history of an unknown civilization giving you the chance to manage a deep interpretation criteria to apply in this argument of the true Armenian nature. The data processing is product of a fine geniality if we think of the little time you had to develop the subject.
An exceptional photography due to its size and type, has been enough to let you understand about antropomorphical typologies that worry you and stimulate to investigate about human identity. The choral ambience the image offers doesn’t approach to any genetic mutation or physical diversity, but to the identity of a group. Group in terms of beliefs and culture.
Your soft, moderate expression of the violent and tragic events of the genocide presented through red stains shadowing the title, talk about a repairing mood that is coincident with our positive vision about a peaceful future between both countries. Overcoming without forgetting, give value to the real foundations, look at the unquestionable truth, not loose the own structure which is the own culture, the own roots. The concepts are widely reinforced by the touch of wind caressing a rebirthing greenery after a freezing winter… life was almost in lethargy. Greenery renewal is the most beautiful metaphor for a country who reacquires the hope of peace thank to the latest events of official rapprochement due to sports (soccer game appointment in Armenia, between Armenians and Turks). Your smooth approach to a subject like the genocide follows our spirit willing to look towards a promising future of growth and participation within the world.
The good decision of giving a central position to the Armenian characters, beautiful and rare, remark gently its sense of unique and traditional emblem. Your art blooms with the rolling history on the screen, anticipated by the candle light that gets closer and closer, almost like a promise, like a hope in the horizon… an infinite pose, as it happened with your archive photography with similar animation. But I’d rather said this time, you present a full version of the concept, for both shape and contents. This work represents well the Armenian people who had to face persecutions, massacres, deportations, identity cancellation but still, they keep the faith to stay, to survive almost in a cyclic loop, as if it were a constant repetition, a neverending wail.
I consider very faithful the elements you expose clearly. Rebirth or re-birth, a right title for the historical moment the Armenian nation goes through currently, perfectly supported by your animation emphasizing an attitude of dignity you can easily read at the ancient photograph. The translation of the video into different languages, represents the Armenians’ polyglot condition. The Armenian voice with foreign accent or the imperfect armenian written words give an even more realistic value to the story telling. These are true stories that represent survivors’ last generation memories.
Finally, the voile posed at the beginning recalling the Armenian prudish, even the prayer or the music expressing a deep spirituality, that you’ve been able to extend generous with no fears. Antonello, you’re fantastic and I hope I’ll be always able to thank you somehow.
(e-mail sent to the author from Maria Ines Abramian, the muse of the video, Olbia 2008)
Position the cursor on the images to view captions, click on images to enlarge them.
Posizionare il cursore sulle immagini per leggere le didascalie; cliccare sulle immagini per ingrandirle.
