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A project of Villa Romana

curated by Giacomo Zaganelli with Angelika Stepken

@ Galluzzo, Florence | September-October 2021


What does the term popular mean and how can it be declined today?

Caught between populist drifts and commercial temptations, this adjective is a key term for understanding contemporary dynamics. Rather than a mere theoretical reflection, however, it is fundamental to get closer to everyday realities, activating participatory and collective cultural practices.

The Scuola Popolare / Popular School was born last year from the experience of the first, hard lockdown in Italy, giving all participants the opportunity to draw strength from the experience of collaboration and self-organization. From personal narratives and actions collective, open, critical and poetic spaces were generated.

This year we take another step forward and, in collaboration with the artist Giacomo Zaganelli, the Festival dei Popoli, Arci Firenze and the Casa del Popolo of Galluzzo (FI), two kilometers away from Villa Romana, we present Convisione_Fucina Popolare di Cultura Contemporanea.


Convisione is an experimental project of social inclusion and cultural participation that will take place between early September and mid-October at Galluzzo, in the spaces of the Casa del Popolo, in the Park along the Ema and in the garden of Villa Romana.

It represents an attempt to reflect, through contemporary languages, on the potential offered by art and culture to activate and develop solidarity and participatory initiatives.

The project aims to promote an idea of social utility of the artist’s work and the role of the Case del Popolo as the Common Good of the territory.


OPEN CALL – A RESIDENCY FOR RESIDENTS

We invite artists, designers, performers, architects, researchers, activists, videomakers, photographers, etc.. – preferably resident in Florence and/or neighboring provinces – to send proposals and ideas for projects to be carried out with the community of Galluzzo and the Casa del Popolo during the above period.

The objective is to select 3 proposals designed for the context and able to involve the inhabitants in a socio-participatory process characterized by doing together that will take shape in progress.

By way of example only: temporary interventions in public space and installations of urban furniture; performative actions; initiatives and collaborations with children, youth, wo/men, elderly, foreigners, artisans; projects on memory, documentation, with nature, music, reuse, food, etc..

Preference will be given to candidates who are able to carry out the project independently and prefer flexible and adaptable proposals during the course of the project, as well as those that provide for a continuous presence of the selected artist on site and in contact with the local community.


Conditions 

Projects must be realized between the beginning of September and mid-October 2021*, for which period applicants are required to be fully available.

Each artist will receive a 1000 euro fee plus a material refund up to 500 euro.

Moreover, they will be able to count on the continuous support of the promoters of the project, on the resources available to Casa del Popolo in Galluzzo: the members, the spaces, the materials present there, the history, the network of local connections.

Each artist agrees to collaborate with the curator so that the project is carried out in the most appropriate way to the context and agrees to participate in activities promoted by the same in order to support the project and the work of those involved.

Each artist agrees to publicly present, at least on one occasion, their work and their poetics during the project.


The deadline for submitting proposals is July 23. The results will be published by July 31 and the selected artists will be contacted personally.

Candidates participating in the call accept its conditions.

To apply send a portfolio, CV and a letter of motivation/intent to: office@villaromana.org

For further information write to: office@villaromana.org

* The exact dates will be defined with the selected artists according to their availability.


In collaboration with

With the generous support of