Queen of Europe
dal 14/4/2004 al 23/5/2004
Segnalato da
14/4/2004
Queen of Europe
Gallery of Photography, Dublin
Italian artist Paolo Ravalico Scerri's first show in Ireland features a 5-screen video intervention called Queen of Europe. Shot inside the park of Miramare Castle in Trieste the project was concluded following a residency of the artist in the Ulster University at Belfast.
a video intervention by Paolo Ravalico Scerri
Curated for the Gallery of Photography by Vittorio Urbani, Nuova Icona,
Venice
Italian artist Paolo Ravalico Scerri's first show in Ireland features a
5-screen video intervention called Queen of Europe. Shot inside the park of
Miramare Castle in Trieste the project was concluded following a residency
of the artist in the Ulster University at Belfast.
The work stems from an idea about the association and peaceful co-existence
of the peoples of Europe. The chief character is an elderly lady, roaming
feely in the park of a castle. She is the 'Queen Mother', played by Maria
Scerri, the artist's grandmother. For the part of the 'Queen', a female
voice (Laura Antonaz, soprano) sings, binding together various scenes. Irish
artist Alastair MacLennan plays the 'King' and slowly observes. Elena
Ravalico, the artist's niece, takes the role of the 'Young Queen'. She
appears on the site of the greenhouse of the Botanic Gardens in Belfast,
promising fresh hope for Europe.
In this allusive work, the past and the future are mixed together. Reality
and political Utopia overlap ... Queen of Europe can be taken as a symbolic
journey amidst the memories and dreams of a sovereign or of an old lady.
The work can also be read as an ironic invitation; an anthem to the charter
of citizens' rights in the new European Constitution; a plea for, or a
fantasy about a time when the people will live united in a single 'realm'
respecting the ethnic, religious, cultural and sexual differences of
individuals ...
The show in the Gallery of Photography coincides with Ireland's Presidency
of the EU and the Day of Welcome to new EU states. In parallel, an
installation will also take place at the University of Ulster in Belfast
over the period April 19th-23rd.
The project is curated by Nuova Icona, Venice and has been made possible by
the generous collaboration of the Italian Cultural Institute, Dublin; the
University of Ulster, Belfast; and the Italian Cultural Institute,
Edinburgh. The opening reception, supported by Becks, takes place on
Wednesday 14th April at 6.30pm.
Gallery of Photography Meeting House Square Temple Bar Dublin 2 Ireland Tel. +353-1 6714654 Fax. +353-1 6709293