Che non siano solo macchinari

2023 | Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto, Biella
400cm x 400cm

descarted fabrics, cardboard tubes, metal wire, audio installation

Photo credits: Damiano Andreotti, Michele Cardinali, Beatrice Casalini, Marco Vidale

The installation Che non siano solo macchinari represents a reflection, both personal and collective, on work, overproduction and consumerism. Inspired by the study of work uniforms, the work intends to create a bridge between the past and the future, proposing an experience that encompasses memories and expectations of those who live the world of textiles from the inside. The silhouettes that make up the work are made using scraps and stock from the same companies they represent, thus personifying the different figures involved during the process. The choice of these materials suggests a need to become aware and to promote change in relation to the consumer society in which we live.

Entering the intimate and immersive space defined by the circle of silhouettes, one is enveloped by a small crowd of male and female workers who, thanks to an audio installation, tell anecdotes and personal aspirations about the rhythm and sounds generated by the production machines, creating an emblematic dialogue. Through their mechanical language, they present the different stages of the textile process, such as warping, weaving and dyeing, thus transporting the audience directly between the machines. Together with the language of machinery, which presents the different phases of the textile processes with a focus on the human and craftsmanship aspect of the companies, this chorus of voices that are not only machinery will bring out a multiplicity of points of view, offering a layered narrative of professionals, thus drawing a cross-section of the textile industry in Italy today.

The installation is accompanied by a series of posters screen-printed with Recycrom™, pigments obtained from the transformation of textile waste.

The installation was created during CirculART art residency, curated and produced by Cittadellarte, within the collaboration of UNIDEE residency programs and Fashion B.E.S.T.

The program brings together companies, artists and fashion designers to create new forms of language capable of inspiring change by integrating the seemingly different dimensions of art and industry, reflecting on reuse, reduce and recycle concepts.

Thanks to DESERT Serigrafia Casalinga, for the collaboration, to Silvia Birolini for the precious tailoring work, and to Marco Vidale for the sound editing.

Thanks to Andrea, Stefano, Cristiana, Michela, Sergio, Manuela, Valeria, Simone, Maurizia, Gianluca, Matteo, Annalisa, Tiziana, Alessandro, Gaetano, Elisabetta, Denise, Rossana, Monica, Silvia, Alba, Stefano, Gerardo, Elisabetta, Paolo, Marco, Mauro, Paolo, Fabio, Massimo, Ernesto, Carlo, Francesca, Tiziano, Emanuele, Nicola, Barbara, Francesca, Enrico, Giona, Alessia, Matteo, Carla, Rossella, Ilaria, Sharon, Marina, Fabio, Enrico, Renata, Federico e Matthias for sharing their memories.

Partner companies: Achille Pinto S.p.a, Albini Group, Erica Industria Tessile S.p.A., Filatura Astro Srl, G2B Srl, Lampo by Ditta Giovanni Lanfranchi S.p.A., Lanificio Fratelli Cerruti, Lenzing, Milior s.a.s., Officina+39, Tessuti di Sondrio, Tintoria Emiliana Srl, Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia.

Photo credits: Marco Vidale