In September 2021, Robida organised a gathering (or symposium) titled Care of Margins where 30 artists, architects, curators, researchers from different European countries discussed the idea of an artist residency in the village of Topolò.
The symposium opened fertile, urgent questions about existing models of artist residencies in marginal areas especially regarding the relation between the artists, the place and its community and concerning the facilities a residency needs in terms of space.
Through rethinking the new residency together, and collectively writing/drawing/sketching, we formulated the curatorial and architectural first steps toward this new project, starting from our common values.
Some main reflections of the symposium concerned terms as
reciprocity – the artists should be involved in the seasonal rhythms of the community, sharing responsibilities with its members,
care – the sense of care within artists’ works is expressed through their cyclical coming-back and long-term work,
boundaries & integration – between the life/rhythms of the hosts and needs of the artists,
community – not to consider as community only people permanently living in Topolò but to extend the definition to those who have an affection to the place and dedicate care to it,
eco-system – the set of relations between people dwelling in the village (permanent inhabitants or guest artists) and the non-human inhabitants, the landscape, the different spaces of the village.
Beside this, many architectural interesting points opened up. With the future goal of transforming an old house into a residency hosting artists the whole year long, discussion about shape, structure and content of the house followed.
We want to intend the house as a toolbox that can be activated by the guests and imagine building the house as a part of the residency program itself.
Participants to the symposium: Natalia Agati (Roma), Elena Braida (Amsterdam), Jack Bardwell (Rotterdam), Dora Ciccone (Topolò), Lenn Cox (Arnhem), Tommaso Garavini (Orvieto), Antoine Guay (Geneve), Tymon Hogenelst (Amsterdam), Philipp Kolmann (Amsterdam), Kim Lang (Amsterdam/Topolò), Matteo Locci, Francesca Lucchitta (Amsterdam), Tanja Marmai (Trieste), Jan van der Ploeg (Amsterdam), Jesse van der Ploeg (Amsterdam), Johannes Reisigl (Amsterdam), Elena Rucli (Topolò), Vida Rucli (Topolò), Laura Savina (Roma), Vid Skrbinšek (Ljubljana), Egor Sviridenko (Berlin), Aljaž Škrlep (Topolò), Janja Šušnjar (Ljubljana), Mercedes Talevi (Buenos Aires), Rosario Talevi (Berlin), Sabina Enea Téari (Berlin), Curdin Tones (Amsterdam), Giuditta Trani (Trieste), Başak Tuna (Roma), Mara Usai (Geneve).
The symposium was covened by: Vida Rucli (Topolò), Kim Lang (Topolò/Amsterdam).
After the symposium the publication Care of Margins was edited and designed by Vida Rucli, Kim Lang and Francesca Lucchitta.
→ publication Care of Margins
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The symposium Care of Margins was the event out of which the project of the Academy of Margins was born which transforms Topolò into a learning site, where to put in contact different knowledges brought to the village by researchers, professors, activists, artists who encounter the place and the landscape and are transformed by them. Contents are situated in the place, adapting to it, changing through it: the context ceases to be the scenery of learning, but becomes the participant to the development of reflections, questions and knowledge articulations.
→ Academy of Margins
The symposium Care of Margins was supported by Embassy and General Consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Italy, General Consulate of Switzerland in Milano, Fondazione Friuli and Region Friuli Venezia Giulia.
