The neighborhood association of moments has started a new artistic and research project, “Pourparler”. A laboratory that is part of the context of urban regeneration and cultural practices in progress in Bologna, giving life to reflections on mourning, memory and inheritance.
The Pourparler project and its mission
The Pourparler project was born as a new phase of Alessandra Cussini’s artistic research, started in 2018, which explores the issues related to mourning and at the end of things. Through the word, installation and performance, the project intends to deepen concepts such as death, dying and memory. The goal is to create a space of dialogue and exchange, where past materials and experiences can be transmitted and transformed in the future.
The laboratory in via Azzo Gardino
The initiative will take place mainly in the laboratory located in via Azzo Gardino 12c, a place that since 2020 has become a research and creativity center for the urban regenerationthanks to the support of the culture and creativity sector of Municipality of Bologna. The laboratory will welcome material and intangible donations, which, through a recovery and reinterpretation process, can be returned to the community with a view to continuation and innovation.
The philosophy of recovery and co-creation
At the base of neighbors there is the philosophy of re-creation, which consists in the recovery of materials and their creative reuse to build new meanings. This approach is a metaphor for regeneration, which intends not only to preserve the assets, but also to encourage the social inclusion of those who are in vulnerability situations, offering the opportunity to “Referring a life” and to co-construction a new social fabric.
A laboratory that becomes space for exchange and growth
Pourparler is not only an artistic project, but also a place of discussion and interaction. The laboratory becomes one “Custody house” which hosts artistic proposals to be developed through talk, workshops and residences. The activities will initially take place in via Azzo Gardino and, subsequently, they will also move to the second location in via San Mamolo. The project aims to generate collective reflection and to stimulate active participation, creating a fertile environment for artistic and cultural research.
The inheritance collections of the project
At the opening, Pourparler presents four thematic collections that explore the concept of inheritance in a creative way:
- Black dresses: an exploration of clothes and accessories as a ritual symbol, representing breakage, sacred and scars.
- Sveva Miller: reflection on an alleged identity, a body that exists only through the name and what wears it.
- The house of the book found: a small mountain house that collects books from abandoned and forgotten houses.
- Neighbors are told: sound time machines that will sew texts and relationships together.
The first public appointment is for Saturday 8 February
Pourparler’s first public appointment will be held on Saturday 8 February 2025 at 18.00 in via Azzo Gardino 12/C, Bologna. The event, entitled “Copiare, a verb to infinity”is organized on the occasion of Art White Night and will kick off a series of activities, involving the public in an experience of sharing and reflection on the issues dealt with by the project.