January 2009

Interview [almost true] edited by Mauro’s friends (Paolo, Federica and Massimiliano)

Dear Mauro, at the end of last year has been presented an exhibition (Authority and Poverty – Bracciano, October) concerning initial army of poor pieces. How is your work going?

In a certain way the authority and poverty paths have been divided.

The comments received before and after the exhibitions from some roman friends, brought me to develop a serious reflection over this separation. The authorities are receiving appreciations from Rome and from a different audience, while the army of poor is receiving appreciations from a more sensitive audience. Maybe depend on the crisis, day after day more critical, but I feel that these two worlds are moving away.

And what about the army of poor, what is it doing?

Well, like I was saying before, we are facing an increasing and scaring crisis now. This situation brought the human being to shut oneself up, in order to forget the huge dimension of this poverty, that I imagine first of all in the farmer world and I have wanted to represent with hope and fun.  For this reason in many people opinion my “picks” don’t seem poor; in a certain way this was the message: we can’t hide poverty, because everybody is scared of this, and I try to symbolize it under a different way: showing the slimness, the features essence. I try to dress features with colours, manners and unusual acts, in order to forget this fear and getting closer, touching and speaking with them.

The period of reflection has brought to develop new ideas. Would you like to share these new considerations with us?

Yes, effectively, the first “picks” have enabled to put on the table the idea of the army of poor that grew up in the world. We should remember, as FAO underlines, that almost a billion people go hungry each day. Starting to discuss over this issues has signified a will of showing the diversities, but also a strong desire of bringing near and decreasing the fears. And so the “picks” were born as individuals, they are single statue flexed. This flexion has a particular meaning because remember us a ship movement, such as a ship rocking or we can also translate it as a ship managing. This is why my poor are flexed (but their head is not flexed) and they managing to go ahead.

The poverty is much more, and beside the lonely people there is dignity, seriousness and values. For this reason I have felt the need of doing a Totem, a work still under construction, if you are interested in it you can see some pictures on the website.

The Totem represents the picks less smiling, straight, one on top of the other, in order to show a unity, a balance need and, at the same time, the group power. I am still trying to define if I want to emphasize an intimate reflection sense and colouring Totem in black, or to give more a sense of irony using different colours.  If you have any suggestions, I am here, in the new Oriolo studio where I am currently starting a new picks series, but I don’t anticipate anything for the moment. I would like to launch them on the website next February.

I was almost forgetting to say that who wants to listening a presentation about the picks can find a video realized by Sophie during a lunch at Paolo’s home few days ago.

Mauro, 2009 has begun; can you tell us what kind of dreams and ideas do you have?

First of all, the Oriolo and Madrid studios, that allows me to work and compare ideas and different conceptions. The working space is important because this year I would like to go ahead with the picks work but, at the same time, I have also to  prepare an exhibition in Paris around the middle of the year (we will discuss more on it next time). The year has just began seems tinged with crisis, but I would like to give a message of hope, I would like to give more, because finally, only giving more is possible reaching more. This is my philosophy. I take advantage to this interview to greeting everybody and saying that who wants to support with ideas or economically can find my telephone and e-mail address in this page. Don’t be a stranger!

Bye!