English version below.
Farsi invitare alla più importante delle biennali: la madre di tutte,
quella di Venezia, iniziata più di cento anni fa nella città lagunare,
diventata ora. Qualsiasi persona dalla provata fiducia nella ragione
sa che un approccio come quello di Pino Boresta
è automaticamente destinato a fallire. L'artista romano infatti, ha
lavorato insistentemente per anni per sollecitare curatori e critici
affinché lo invitassero alla kermesse lagunare, ma con la cura di
operare in maniera diretta, antipatica e non salameleccosa.
Il
blitz, lo schiamazzo, la contestazione in dibattiti pubblici, tutti
interventi di disturbo in cui sono – programmaticamente – sbagliati gli
approcci, le modalità, i toni. Potremmo dire, anzi, che se ciò non
avvenisse (se cioè avessero esito positivo le sue richieste) egli si
priverebbe del piacere che spesso hanno i bambini cattivi di rovinare
con un pastrocchio gli ordinati quaderni dei primi della classe. E poi è
troppo scontato sviluppare delle strategie vincenti. Provate voi ad
immaginare come siano delle strategie perdenti. Ecco Boresta è quel
genere di personalità: è essenzialmente un artista che ama porre
domande, rompere sonoramente i cabasisi, come scriverebbe Camilleri.
Anche l'intervista che segue ne è la dimostrazione.
DC: Dentro o fuori il sistema che differenza fa?
PB:
In prospettiva futura nessuna, ma oggi quando un artista viene
proposto attraverso canali di particolare autorevolezza all'interno del
sistema, ciò fa sempre sì che il suo lavoro riceverà approvazione o
quantomeno una forte attenzione, a prescindere dal fatto che sia
apprezzato o meno dai più.
DC: Ma l'arte è un lavoro di relazione...
Sì,
ma ciò decreterà ogni volta l'inevitabile e ripetuta sconfitta di chi –
pur avendo alle spalle un lavoro significativo – dovrà rassegnarsi ad
affrontare sempre una sorta di sfiducia sistematica, che comprometterà
la qualità e la quantità di attenzione necessaria ad una comprensione
adeguata del suo lavoro.
DC: Ma allora vuoi semplicemente cambiare il sistema?
PB:
Semplicemente! Ti pare poco? Bisognerebbe farla finita con queste
logiche opportuniste utilizzate ogni volta per confezionare Biennali e
Quadriennali a vantaggio dei soliti artisti ammanicati sostenuti da un
ristretto corporativo nucleo di gallerie fondazioni ed istituti!
DC: Quindi il Padiglione Italia di Sgarbi è benvenuto!
PB:
Mah! Non lo so, di sicuro io non pensavo certo ad una formula come
quella di Vittorio Sgarbi! Ma più a quella ugualmente criticata che
adotterà la Quadriennale – che mi ero permesso di suggerire il 4
ottobre 2008 parlandone con Roberto Pinto, Emanuela De Cecco, ed altri,
nell'intervallo della presentazione di un libro della Subrizi – dove
saranno degli artisti ad invitare altri artisti. Anche se visto
l'andazzo dei fatti che mi riguardano ultimamente non credo che le cose
cambieranno gran che per me.
DC:
Non penso che per te sia importante diventare noto, quanto piuttosto
far ragionare la gente attorno ai meccanismi di inclusione/esclusione.
PB: Sì! Esatto!
DC: E hai cominciato subito con azioni pubbliche. Quando è stata la prima?
PB:
Una tra le prime fatte è quella dove ho fatto quell'intervento
estemporaneo di cui ti ho raccontato, nel quale ho promosso il mio
progetto Firma Boresta. L'occasione era la presentazione del libro di
Carla Subrizi Perché Duchamp alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna.
DC: Non ricorderai nemmeno cosa hai detto...
PB:
Sì! Perché me lo sono scritto su un fogliaccio lì per lì che ancora
possiedo. "Sono qui per parlare di Duchamp e dell'importanza della sua
opera, ma purtroppo non ho preparato nulla e inoltre hanno parlato e
dovranno parlare persone sicuramente più accreditate di me. Io però ho
un sogno, anzi no! Ho fatto un sogno, un sogno dove il Duchamp con una
parrucca bionda mi esortava dicendomi "vai vai alla conferenza di
Carla Subrizi che ha scritto e presenta un bel libro su di me".
Pertanto su mandato del grande Marcello sono qui in veste di parassita,
parassita dell'arte, nel tentativo di far diventare una petizione un
opera d'arte. Voglio valutare se una raccolta firme può divenire opera
d'arte, ma anche verificare fino a che punto oggi un artista non
sostenuto e promosso dai soliti volti noti, critici e galleristi
potenti, possa ancora incidere ed influenzare questo dibattito
ampliandolo nelle sue dinamiche come sicuramente ha fatto Duchamp, e a
cui credo sarebbe piaciuta questa mia idea. O forse no?"
DC: Forse no! E poi?
PB: Ho poi distribuito i miei volantini e raccolto qualche firma.
DC: Cosa ti rimane ora del progetto
PB:
Tutto! Ma quello che ancora oggi mi domando è a chi un curatore quale
Daniel Birnbaum, intellettualmente onesto e corretto, come sostengono,
abbia chiesto informazioni su un certo artista Pino Boresta, che gli
aveva inviato un grosso pacco con quasi 1000 firme, pubblicazioni e
materiale vario riguardante una curiosa iniziativa che consisteva in un
auto petizione per essere invitato alla sua Biennale di Venezia?
DC: Magari non le ha nemmeno viste di persona...
PB: So di certo che l'ha ricevuto e visto, in caso contrario sarebbe molto strano per un curatore serio.
DC: Magari il tuo lavoro lo interessava o magari gli faceva semplicemente schifo!
PB:
Bravo! Esatto, magari gli interessava o magari gli faceva schifo ma
sicuramente avrà chiesto a qualcuno vicino a lui che meglio conosceva il
panorama artistico italiano, e cosa gli avrà detto non lo saprò mai ma
posso immaginarlo visto poi come sono andate le cose.
DC: Lo ripeto. Avresti dovuto approfittare di quell'incapace di Sgarbi...
Che vorresti dire che se non sono riuscito ad infilarmi alla biennale nemmeno con Sgarbi non ho nessuna speranza di riuscirci?
DC: Sì!
PB:
Forse hai ragione ma io credo che al padiglione Italiano curato da
Vittorio Sgarbi avrebbero dovuto partecipare solo artisti che fanno un
certo tipo di lavoro, artisti che fanno un lavoro che esce fuori anche
nel caos più totale di mille opere e che anzi del caos si nutrono.
DC: Dovevi chiedere a lui!
PB:
L'ho fatto e mi ha pure telefonato, ma poi mi ha detto che non lo
convincevo, ma forse è un buon segno. Io nel partecipare non avrei di
certo avuto nulla da perdere, che volete che me ne importi a me di
attaccare la mia opera appiccicata ad altre mille, quando io come un
parassita le attacco addirittura sopra le opere degli altri. Cosa volete
che me ne importi a me di dover competere per accaparrarmi un po' di
attenzione del pubblico dell'arte tra centinaia e centinai di opere di
quasi trecento artisti, quando da diciotto anni attacco nelle strade
delle città i miei adesivi con la mia faccia alla merce distratta dei
passanti cittadini e competendo tutti i giorni con la massiccia
invasione pubblicitaria con la quale le città sono aggredite e
violentate. Lì si che rischio di perdere la mia battaglia, e ogni giorno
mi prendo la mia rivincita.
DC: Questo però non ti ha portato da nessuna parte...
PB: Ma per esempio mi ha portato a te... tu sei nessuno?
DC: Quindi Venezia rimarrà solo un sogno?
PB: Ma io c'ero al padiglione e ci sono tutt'ora guardate bene!
DC: Cosa hai fatto?
PB
Ho srotolato il mio manifesto in PVC I want Pino Boresta to the Venice
Biennial ed è rimasto lì appeso abusivamente tutto il giorno
dell'inaugurazione. In molti lo hanno visto e possono confermare non
ultima un'entusiasta Laura Palmieri.
DC: C'è qualcosa che ti è piaciuto dell'ultima Biennale di Venezia?
PB:
Della Biennale mi è piaciuto il padiglione della Spagna intitolato
L'inadeguato quando l'ho scoperto pensavo fosse dedicato a me. Infatti,
non capisco perché non ci sono pure io tra gli invitati agli eventi.
Pensa uno dei miei articoli che ho scritto sulla rivista Juliet, con la
quale collaboro da diversi anni, si intitola L'inattuale, curioso no?
DC: Non sei l'unico a lamentarti allora...
PB:
Sono esattamente dentro e sulle tematiche delle quali si dibatte
ultimamente nell'arte oggi, avendo in tanti anni di lavoro, contribuito
affinché venissero allo scoperto, ma mi sa che hai ragione tu... sono
proprio antipatico e sbaglio tutti gli approcci visto che anche lì, tra
questi, non mi vogliono e non vogliono darmi visibilità.
DC: Ma no, sei il solito dietrologo!
PB:
Invece è come se ci fosse qualche oscura figura che trama contro di me
e fa si che io non ci sia lì dove è importante esserci. Mania di
persecuzione?
DC: Sì!
PB:
Può darsi, ma quando anche qualcun altro ti dice e conferma alcune
delle cose che pensi, incominci a credere che forse le tue valutazioni
non siano del tutto sbagliate.
DC: Ma non sei stufo di lamentarti?
PB:
Ma te l'ho detto gli altri lo fanno perché vogliono ottenere qualcosa
io lo faccio perché fa parte dell'opera. Vogliono che smetta! Vogliono
che smetta di fare l'artista? Beh se Cattelan smette, come ha detto,
anche io smetto di fare l'artista. È l'effetto trascino, ma se poi penso
che lui però qualche soddisfazione se la sia tolta mentre io no, quasi
quasi mi viene voglia di ripensarci! Ah ah!
DC: E quindi?
PB: Facciamo così: mi do tempo altri due anni e se non riesco a essere invitato alla prossima Biennale mi suicido!
Pino l’eccezion(al)e Interview by Daniele Capra
Trying to be invited at the most important biennial: The mother of all Biennale di Venezia, started more than a hundred years ago in Venice. Any person with proved trust in reason knows that an approach like that of Pino Boresta is automatically destined to fail. The Roman artist, in fact, for years has worked persistently to prompt curators and critics to invite him at the event, but with care to operate in a direct, unpleasant and no-licker manner. The blitz, the noise, the contestation in public debates, all measures of disturbance in which they are – programmatically – wrong approaches, methods, tones. We could even say that if this does not happen (that is if his requests were successful), he would deny himself the pleasure that nasty children often have to mess up the clean swot’s copybooks. And it’s too easy to develop winning strategies. Try to imagine how could be losing strategies. Anyway Boresta is that kind of personality: He is essentially an artist who loves to make questions, loudly breaking “cabasisi” (to break the balls) as Camilleri writes. Even the interview that follows is the proof.
Daniele Capra (DC): Inside or outside the art system, what is the difference?Pino Boresta (PB): In the future it makes no difference, but today when an artist is presented within the system through special influential channels, it will be sure that his work will endorsement or at least a strong focus, regardless to the fact that it is appreciated, or not, by majority.
DC: But the Art is a work of relations…
PB: Yes, but what it will decree every time is the inevitable and repeated defeat of those who – despite – having a significant background work – always it will have to resign to face with a sort of systematic distrust, which affect the quality and amount of attention needed for a proper understanding of his work.
DC: So, do you want simply change the system?
PB: Simply! Do you think it’s not enough? We should quit with these opportunistic logic, used each time to make up Biennial and Quadrennial exhibitions for the benefit of those usual privileged artists supported by a small group of corporate galleries, foundations and institutes!
DC: So, the Sgarbi’s Italian pavilion is welcome?
PB: Who knows! I do not know, for sure I did not think in a formula like that of Vittorio Sgarbi! But more than that Quadrennial will adopt, also criticized – I dared to suggest in October 4, 2008 to Roberto Pinto, Emanuela De Cecco and other, in the break of the presentation of Subrizi’s book – where will be the artists to invite other artists, even if, looking to the late bad fact about me, I do not think the things will change much for me.
DC: I do not think it is important for you to become famous, but rather to help people to think about the mechanisms of inclusion/exclusion.PB: Yes! Exactly!
DC: And you started immediately with public actions. When was the first?
PB: One of the first subject is the one where I made the offhand that intervention I told you before, where I promoted my project Boresta’s Signature. The opportunity was the presentation of the book “Why Duchamp” by Carla Subrizi at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome.
DC: You do not even remember what you said…
PB: Yes! Because I have write down a rag on the spur of the moment, that I still own. “I’m here to talk about the importance of Duchamp and his work, but unfortunately I have not prepared anything and also people have spoken and will speak more certainly competent than me. But I have a dream. No, far from it! I had a dream, dream where Duchamp, with a blond wig, urged me saying: “Go to the conference of Carla Subrizi who wrote and she is going to show a beautiful book about me”. Therefore on mandate of the great Marcello (Marcel Duchamp). I am here as a parasite, parasite of art, in attempting to make a petition as an artwork. I want to rate if a petition can become an artwork, but also I want to verify if today, an unsupported and un-promoted artist by the usual familiar faces, critics and powerful dealers, can still affect and influence this debate in its dynamics as surely Duchamp did, and I believe he would I have liked this idea. Or maybe not?”.
DC: Maybe not! And then what?
PB: I then distributed my flyers and collected some signatures.
DC: Now, what does it remain of the project FB?
PB: Everything! But what I still wonder to whom, the curator Daniel Birnbaum, claimed to be intellectually honest and virtuous, have requested information on a certain artist Boresta Pino, who had mailed a large parcel with almost 1000 subscriptions and miscellaneous publications concerning a curious initiative concerning in an auto-petition to be invited to his Venice Biennale…
DC: Maybe he never saw in person…
PB: I know for sure that he has received it and saw it, otherwise it would be very strange for a serious curator.
DC: Maybe your work interested him or maybe he’s just disgusting!
PB: “Bravo!” Yeah, maybe he was interested or even hated it, but he will definitely ask someone close to him who knew better the Italian art scene, and what they have said to him I will never know, but I can imagine how since the things are gone.
DC: I repeat. You should take advantage of Sgarbi (the incompetent)PB: Are you saying that if I have failed to slip myself at the Biennale, even with Sgarbi, I will no longer have any hope to succeed?
DC: Yes!
PB: You may be right but I believe that at the Italian Pavilion curated by Vittorio Sgarbi, should participate only artists who make a certain kind of work, artists who make work that comes out even in the chaos of a thousand works and indeed the feed on chaos.
DC: You had to ask to him!
PB: I did it and he also called me, but then he told me that he is not convinced about me , but maybe this is a good sign. Taking part at the exhibition I would not have had nothing to lose, I do not care to hang my work stucked side by side with thousand other, when like a parasite, I hang them even over the other artworks. Do you really think that I care to compete for grabbing some public art attention within hundreds and hundreds of works of almost three hundred artists, when from eighteen years I stick up on the streets stickers with my face printed on, at the mercy of distracted every day citizens, defying the massive invasion of advertisement by which the cities are assaulted and raped? So, there is the risk to lose my battle, and every day I take my revenge.
DC: But this led you nowhere…PB: But for example, it led me to you…are you “nobody”?
DC: So Venice will remain just a dream?
PB: But I was there at the hall and I am still there, take a closer look!
DC: What have you done?PB: I unrolled my PVC poster titled “I want Pino Boresta to the Venice Biennial” and it rested there the whole day, illegally hanged. Many have seen it and i can confirm an enthusiastic Laura Palmieri.
DC: Is there anything that you liked of last Venice Biennale?
PB: I liked the Biennale Pavilion of Spain called “The Inadequate”. When I discovered it, I thought it was dedicated to me. In fact, I do not understand why I am not invited at the events. One of my articles that I wrote in the magazine Juliet, magazine with which I work from several years, is entitled “The out-date”, fancy that!
DC: You are not the only one to complain indeed…
PB: I’m right inside and over the themes of which are now debated in the art scene, having many years of work, contributing to go public, but I guess you right… I am unpleasant and I miss all the approaches, among these, they do not want me and they do not want to give me visibility.
DC: Do you think you are the victim of a plot?
PB: But it seems there is some dark figure plotting against me, and causes me not being there where it’s important to be there. Obsession of persecution?
DC: Yes!
PB: Maybe, but when someone else tells you and confirms some of the things you think, you start to believe that, perhaps, your rating are not entirely wrong.
DC: Aren’t you tired to complaining?
PB: But I told you, other do it because they want to get something. I do it because it is part of the work. They want stop me! They want stop me being an artist? Well, if Cattelan leave off, as he said, I leave off to be an artist. It is the “drag effect”, but if you think that however, he got some satisfaction while I do not, almost makes me think back! Ah ah!
DC: So what?
PB: I will tell you what: I give to myself another two years of time, and if I will not be invited to the next Biennial, I will commit suicide!
PINO BORESTA, Artist, Rome
Pino l’eccezion(al)e Interview by Daniele Capra
Trying to be invited at the most important biennial: The mother of all Biennale di Venezia, started more than a hundred years ago in Venice. Any person with proved trust in reason knows that an approach like that of Pino Boresta is automatically destined to fail. The Roman artist, in fact, for years has worked persistently to prompt curators and critics to invite him at the event, but with care to operate in a direct, unpleasant and no-licker manner. The blitz, the noise, the contestation in public debates, all measures of disturbance in which they are – programmatically – wrong approaches, methods, tones. We could even say that if this does not happen (that is if his requests were successful), he would deny himself the pleasure that nasty children often have to mess up the clean swot’s copybooks. And it’s too easy to develop winning strategies. Try to imagine how could be losing strategies. Anyway Boresta is that kind of personality: He is essentially an artist who loves to make questions, loudly breaking “cabasisi” (to break the balls) as Camilleri writes. Even the interview that follows is the proof.
Daniele Capra (DC): Inside or outside the art system, what is the difference?Pino Boresta (PB): In the future it makes no difference, but today when an artist is presented within the system through special influential channels, it will be sure that his work will endorsement or at least a strong focus, regardless to the fact that it is appreciated, or not, by majority.
DC: But the Art is a work of relations…
PB: Yes, but what it will decree every time is the inevitable and repeated defeat of those who – despite – having a significant background work – always it will have to resign to face with a sort of systematic distrust, which affect the quality and amount of attention needed for a proper understanding of his work.
DC: So, do you want simply change the system?
PB: Simply! Do you think it’s not enough? We should quit with these opportunistic logic, used each time to make up Biennial and Quadrennial exhibitions for the benefit of those usual privileged artists supported by a small group of corporate galleries, foundations and institutes!
DC: So, the Sgarbi’s Italian pavilion is welcome?
PB: Who knows! I do not know, for sure I did not think in a formula like that of Vittorio Sgarbi! But more than that Quadrennial will adopt, also criticized – I dared to suggest in October 4, 2008 to Roberto Pinto, Emanuela De Cecco and other, in the break of the presentation of Subrizi’s book – where will be the artists to invite other artists, even if, looking to the late bad fact about me, I do not think the things will change much for me.
DC: I do not think it is important for you to become famous, but rather to help people to think about the mechanisms of inclusion/exclusion.PB: Yes! Exactly!
DC: And you started immediately with public actions. When was the first?
PB: One of the first subject is the one where I made the offhand that intervention I told you before, where I promoted my project Boresta’s Signature. The opportunity was the presentation of the book “Why Duchamp” by Carla Subrizi at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome.
DC: You do not even remember what you said…
PB: Yes! Because I have write down a rag on the spur of the moment, that I still own. “I’m here to talk about the importance of Duchamp and his work, but unfortunately I have not prepared anything and also people have spoken and will speak more certainly competent than me. But I have a dream. No, far from it! I had a dream, dream where Duchamp, with a blond wig, urged me saying: “Go to the conference of Carla Subrizi who wrote and she is going to show a beautiful book about me”. Therefore on mandate of the great Marcello (Marcel Duchamp). I am here as a parasite, parasite of art, in attempting to make a petition as an artwork. I want to rate if a petition can become an artwork, but also I want to verify if today, an unsupported and un-promoted artist by the usual familiar faces, critics and powerful dealers, can still affect and influence this debate in its dynamics as surely Duchamp did, and I believe he would I have liked this idea. Or maybe not?”.
DC: Maybe not! And then what?
PB: I then distributed my flyers and collected some signatures.
DC: Now, what does it remain of the project FB?
PB: Everything! But what I still wonder to whom, the curator Daniel Birnbaum, claimed to be intellectually honest and virtuous, have requested information on a certain artist Boresta Pino, who had mailed a large parcel with almost 1000 subscriptions and miscellaneous publications concerning a curious initiative concerning in an auto-petition to be invited to his Venice Biennale…
DC: Maybe he never saw in person…
PB: I know for sure that he has received it and saw it, otherwise it would be very strange for a serious curator.
DC: Maybe your work interested him or maybe he’s just disgusting!
PB: “Bravo!” Yeah, maybe he was interested or even hated it, but he will definitely ask someone close to him who knew better the Italian art scene, and what they have said to him I will never know, but I can imagine how since the things are gone.
DC: I repeat. You should take advantage of Sgarbi (the incompetent)PB: Are you saying that if I have failed to slip myself at the Biennale, even with Sgarbi, I will no longer have any hope to succeed?
DC: Yes!
PB: You may be right but I believe that at the Italian Pavilion curated by Vittorio Sgarbi, should participate only artists who make a certain kind of work, artists who make work that comes out even in the chaos of a thousand works and indeed the feed on chaos.
DC: You had to ask to him!
PB: I did it and he also called me, but then he told me that he is not convinced about me , but maybe this is a good sign. Taking part at the exhibition I would not have had nothing to lose, I do not care to hang my work stucked side by side with thousand other, when like a parasite, I hang them even over the other artworks. Do you really think that I care to compete for grabbing some public art attention within hundreds and hundreds of works of almost three hundred artists, when from eighteen years I stick up on the streets stickers with my face printed on, at the mercy of distracted every day citizens, defying the massive invasion of advertisement by which the cities are assaulted and raped? So, there is the risk to lose my battle, and every day I take my revenge.
DC: But this led you nowhere…PB: But for example, it led me to you…are you “nobody”?
DC: So Venice will remain just a dream?
PB: But I was there at the hall and I am still there, take a closer look!
DC: What have you done?PB: I unrolled my PVC poster titled “I want Pino Boresta to the Venice Biennial” and it rested there the whole day, illegally hanged. Many have seen it and i can confirm an enthusiastic Laura Palmieri.
DC: Is there anything that you liked of last Venice Biennale?
PB: I liked the Biennale Pavilion of Spain called “The Inadequate”. When I discovered it, I thought it was dedicated to me. In fact, I do not understand why I am not invited at the events. One of my articles that I wrote in the magazine Juliet, magazine with which I work from several years, is entitled “The out-date”, fancy that!
DC: You are not the only one to complain indeed…
PB: I’m right inside and over the themes of which are now debated in the art scene, having many years of work, contributing to go public, but I guess you right… I am unpleasant and I miss all the approaches, among these, they do not want me and they do not want to give me visibility.
DC: Do you think you are the victim of a plot?
PB: But it seems there is some dark figure plotting against me, and causes me not being there where it’s important to be there. Obsession of persecution?
DC: Yes!
PB: Maybe, but when someone else tells you and confirms some of the things you think, you start to believe that, perhaps, your rating are not entirely wrong.
DC: Aren’t you tired to complaining?
PB: But I told you, other do it because they want to get something. I do it because it is part of the work. They want stop me! They want stop me being an artist? Well, if Cattelan leave off, as he said, I leave off to be an artist. It is the “drag effect”, but if you think that however, he got some satisfaction while I do not, almost makes me think back! Ah ah!
DC: So what?
PB: I will tell you what: I give to myself another two years of time, and if I will not be invited to the next Biennial, I will commit suicide!
PINO BORESTA, Artist, Rome
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