ORDO NATURAIS ORDO ARTIFICIAIS
8 April – 11 September 2022, Zac – Zisa Arti Contemporanee, via Paolo Gili 4, Palermo
curated by Beatrice Merz and Agata Polizzi
The artists: Andreco, Fabio Aranzulla & Luca Cinquemani (aterraterra), Romeo Castellucci, Michele Guido, Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige, Icy and Sot, Alfredo Jaar, Giorgia Lupi and Ehren Shorday, Basim Magdy, Mario Merz, Marisa Merz
Il Terzo Reich by Romeo Castellucci:
Performance and video installation: 8 April 2022, at 9pm and 10.30pm
Video installation: 20 April, 25 May and 22 June, at 9pm
L’altro, lo stesso (the other, the same) was an exhibition in which the central protagonists were nature with its extreme being, some gestures and sharp words, architectural references and enhancements…all this with the works inclined towards a collective narrative.
This second segment of the inaugural exhibition project at ZACentrale, titled Ordo naturalis, ordo artificialis, keeps a selection of works from the first iteration to act as a link between the two shows: Alfredo Jaar’s installation on the building’s façade and, inside the space, several drawings and sculptures by Marisa Merz and two tables by Mario Merz, which serve as a starting point for the exhibition. Newly presented works include work by Andreco, Fabio Aranzulla & Luca Cinquemani (aterraterra), Michele Guido, Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige, Icy and Sot, Giorgia Lupi and Ehren Shorday, and Basim Magdy. The video installation Third Reich by Romeo Castellucci will be played on selected dates.
Ordo naturalis, ordo artificialis brings together a diverse group of artists who use differing languages to tackle a variety of issues from interconnected and plural systems. They are also information analysts, designers, climate change, human rights and agriculture activists, philosophers and directors. Thanks to their work, the exhibition project functions as a potential multiplier or an enlarged observatory which highlight the urgency to share ideas and doubts by involving multiple disciplines and viewpoints.
The presented works become a site for experimentation and exchange, for the inversion of a stomping ground, for the transformation of collective rules in which the ambiguity of an image, word and sign navigates – a semantic power which by acting on a concept, subverts it.
We asked ourselves if we should start in the middle or follow a logical order of development, whether to invert cause and effect. We haven’t found an answer, but believe that through this opposition Ordo naturalis, ordo artificialis will offer the possibility to either respect tradition or decide to unravel it.
To quote Roland Barthes: naturalis = culture and artificialis = spontaneity.
Throughout this show, the artists’ vision is compelling: the narrative around the present, existence, society, and landscapes allows images and words to open up freely in time and space, according to dynamics which find their own logic in the combination of artificial and natural elements.
Andreco STATEMENT:
Andreco’s research centers around the relationship between humans and nature, exploring the interplay between the constructed and natural landscapes, with the aim of transcending conventional notions of Nature and Culture. The objective is to forge new visions and icons that render visible the invisible forces that shape ecosystems, while also shifting the perspective from an anthropocentric worldview to an eco-centric one. At the core of his vision lies an appreciation for the complexity of ecosystems.
Andreco’s work frequently involves engaging local communities in dialogue and collective interventions to champion environmental and social causes.
In the era of climate change, the environment urgently demands new symbols. The flag takes a prominent role in Andreco’s art and performances, serving as a non-identitarian emblem to celebrate rivers and water—the lifeblood of ecosystems.
The curated selection of artworks presented in Palermo not only showcases Andreco’s artistic journey and his profound connection to the territory but, more importantly, underscores an environmental struggle that has unfolded over time concerning rivers, ecosystems, and the living beings that inhabit them.
Particularly noteworthy is Andreco’s ongoing commitment to FLUMEN, a multidisciplinary project that fuses art, science, and activism, delving into the significance of rivers, aquatic ecosystems, and their surrounding green zones. FLUMEN is realized in collaboration with Climate Art Project, along with an extensive network of partners.
The flags displayed on the building’s exterior were created for the Tiberina Parade of Beginnings, a collective performance directed by visual artist Andreco. The parade was produced by Romaeuropa Festival in collaboration with Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Accademia Santa Cecilia, and Zetema for the Festa di Roma 2020. The video documenting the Tiberina Parade is also exhibited within ZAC. Additionally, the video “Climate 05 Reclaim Air and Water in Delhi” captures a performance and collective instance directed by the artist in India during 2019, while “Displacement” is a poignant water-based performance shedding light on climate migrants, staged in Bologna in 2020. Furthermore, “Parata per il Paesaggio” showcases a performance art piece that unfolded along the cliffs of S. M. di Leuca in 2014. Inside ZAC, embroidered flags depict segments of the Tiber and Aniene rivers in Rome, as well as the Palermitan rivers, including Oreto, Papireto, and Kemonia, some of which have now been buried and obscured. The latter flag was specially created for the exhibition by the artist in collaboration with Coloriage, a social tailor shop that provides employment to migrants and disadvantaged individuals.
DIDA:
VIDEO Monitor 1 – Tiberina Parade, 2020-2022 (29’40”) Monitor 2 – Climate 05. Reclaim Air and Water in Delhi, 2019 (8’37”) Displacement, 2020 (16’07”) Parata per il paesaggio, 2014 (3’51”)
FLAGS Inside – Climate 05. Water Cycle, 2019. Embroidered flag on cotton. 150 x 150 cm Palermo, 2022. Embroidered flag on cotton. 150 x 150 cm
Outside – Flags printed on nautical fabric from the performance: Tiberina Parade, Rome 2020 Each flag is approximately 150 x 150 cm.
