4/6/2000
Italians are not to be trusted
Airports Schiphol, Amsterdam
"*Italianen zijn niet te vertrouwen"
"*Italians are not to be trusted"
"*Degli Italiani non c'è da fidarsi"
"Franco Angeloni disguised as a Commercial Traveller"
"Italianen zijn niet te vertrouwen", is an idiom that derives from the modern
Dutch language.
This performance taking place at the gates of two directly related Airports
(Schiphol Amsterdam and Leonardo
da Vinci Roma) is a personal interpretation and burlesque imitation of what this
idiom basically states, an inoffensive investigation on the very origins of it
and finally, an exposure to the risk of presumed charlatanism. Documentation of
the acting will be recorded by means of only 4 photographs and texts related to
the "moment-specific memory" of the artist. This material, along with a computer
animation© from the same project, will be available on request by writing to
Franco Angeloni
Press-Release by Aurelio Hempel
A few words on this performance:
-Don't know much about history-..don't know much 'bout biologyyyhh-- Don't know
much about-.
(don't remember this part of the song anymore, I apologize for this but
nevertheless I go on-..),
...but I do know that I love you--..and I know that if you love me too--, what a
wonderful world
this would beeeeee-!!!!!!
I must admit that I do not know that much about the economics and the rising
social aspects of this vividly debated United Europe of ours,
nor do I know whether I agree with the much promising future expectations of it.
The only thing I know is that Europe works and is still alive thanks to the
greatly entwinned identities and despite the archaic contradictions existing
within herself.
It is common knowledge that, only hundred years ago due perhaps to the
enthusiasm derived from the quickening of discovery in the fields of
psycho-analysis and thus the self-celebrating attitude of the most outstanding
scintists leading certain research in Europe at the time, on the one hand, and
the enterprising charachter present in the realm of politics within each single
state in Europe around the turn of
the last century - whose greedy spirit turned into stimulating and promoting
colonial expansionism to the new worlds - on the other hand, it was common
belief among scintists and even anthropologists, that world population were
divisible in races with the Europeans being on top of this hypothetical pyramid.
As a matter of fact, this hierarchical structure was to take shape also within
Europe itself and the saddest exhibition of this we all know were it culminated
eventually.
.......Don't know much about history---.don't know much about---
Fortunately now, hundred years ahead, thanks to a variety of reasons and general
common sense, convictions of that kind and perspectives have for a great deal
changed.
In particular, a breath of truely fresh air can be taken by looking at the
latest researches carryed out in the field of genetics, which indeed have
revealed that biologically humans are of one and only single species.
In addition to that, it has also become apparent that, regardless the place of
birth, people in general terms feel an unspecified need to claim their own self
as unique beings. This controvertial urge common to us all, - and that can be
seen as the result of a long psycho-mental evolution of the human mind-
basically stems from the very nature of the human beings, that is living in
socially bound structures.
Also it has been ascertained that this particular lust for the affirmation of
the self among the fellow-creatures is present in more or less strong a way in
each individual.
Besides, in order for this uniqueness to manifest itself and thus adding
potentiality also to another very much debatable mankind need, that is power,
people resort to generating differences of all kinds, cultural, religious,
historical, folkloristic, culinary and so on.
Hence, the step into the forming of social groups which turns eventually into
the territorial designing of a nation and consequently to the abstract
definition of a National identity, isn't really big.
Once you have a nation, then you create a national language and its people's
habits, and thereafter all related tempers and stereotypes-.
--..and I know that if you love me too--, what a wonderful----
However, although we theoretically understand the evil nature of race
discrimination and we fear using publically terms like race-different, black,
negro, yellow etc-, privileging words like aliens, new comers or ethnic
identities, in the practice of various quotidian behaviours or performing within
a specific social environment, we have remained unchanged.
As a matter of fact more often than not our innate ego-sense for differentiation
between groups first and individuals next, if not plainly expressed by the use
of discriminative terms, has been lurking in our minds redefining itself in the
most bizzarre forms of disguise.
At times concealed under funny superstitions and at other times turned into
parochial idioms, which very frequently have stemmed from apparent stereotypied
attitudes and often related to outdated historical events of a certain
population-.
It is on one of this specific dutch idioms that this performance has been
devised and unannouncedly presented to an incidental airport in transit public.
oh-.yeah!---.
--..Now I even remember the missing words of the song I was singing here
above:---.Don't know much about the french I took---don't know much of that
science book---.but I do know that I love you--..and I know that if you love
me too--, what a wonderful world this would beeeeee!!!!!!
© Aurelio Hempel - May 2000