4.social system

3rd April 2011 / 3 Aprile 2011

15.30 – 18.30: Laboratorio sulla creazione di un negozio temporaneo a cura di 121+ libreria estemporanea

TEMPORANEAMENTE APERTI: NUOVI MODELLI COMMERCIALI E RELAZIONALI/TEMPORARILY OPEN: NEW COMMERCIAL AND RELATIONAL MODELS

Pietro e Ilaria di 121 + temporary bookshop di Milano ci introducono il modello del temporary concept store, un negozio temporaneo, che nasce con un limite di tempo d’apertura definito e si contraddistingue per l’alta specificitá e la qualità dei prodotti che propone.
Pietro e Ilaria invitano i partecipanti del workshop “temporaneamente aperti” a sviluppare un’idea di possibili temporary shops per Montevarchi.
Tra le varie idee, nasce una libreria serale di graphic design e arte contemporanea, dove i ragazzi possono sfogliare le edizioni piú ricercate durante l’aperitivo; un caffè letterario per bambini, che offre laboratori formativi specializzati; un locale di cucina fai da te, dove le persone possono cucinare e condividere i pasti in un luogo non-privato; un centro d’informatica, che aiuta le persone a dominare l’uso del computer. Tutte queste proposte esprimono la necessità di colmare non solo una mancanza di offerta culturale, commerciale o formativa, ma soprattutto quella relazionale. Utilizzare l’idea del temporary shop nel contesto di Montevarchi aiuterebbe, quindi, a favorire la valorizzazione di spazi in disuso del centro storico come luoghi d’incontro tra le persone.

Il metodo
Semplificare e amplificare sono due verbi utili per il cambiamento. 121+ è una realtà che ha fatto della metamorfosi la propria cifra stilistica: i libri, gli eventi, i workshop e anche il marchio. Tutto cambia e si trasforma: ma cosa permane al di là di questo divenire incessante? La progettualità, l’elasticità e la voglia di scoprire e riscoprire realtà poco conosciute. A tutto questo si aggiunge il desiderio di incoraggiare la gente a riscoprire la bellezza legata al fare, al creare e (perché no?!) al distruggere, insomma a sporcarsi le mani convinti di quanto questo sia necessario per pensare e ri-pensare il mondo che ci circonda. Questo è l’atteggiamento che guida anche le due anime della libreria: Pietro Corraini e Ilaria Rodella. Pietro, nella sua attività di grafico ed editore, crea e distrugge in continuazione alla ricerca di risultati inaspettati, mentre Ilaria fa laboratori di filosofia per bambini (a volte anche per adulti) nella convinzione che il fare favorisca il ragionamento.

121 + Libreria extemporanea
121+ è una libreria a tempo. Un negozio con una storia definita. Un progetto nato all’interno di Corraini Edizioni che affianca all’attività di pubblicazione e distribuzione di libri la gestione di spazi legati alla vendita. Ai libri si accosta un’intensa proposta di iniziative collaterali (laboratori, incontri e piccole mostre). Gli spazi offrono a curiosi e appassionati una selezione costantemente aggiornata e rinnovata di libri di design, architettura, arte, fotografia, moda, illustrazione, grafica, cucina, espressione della migliore editoria internazionale. Una particolare attenzione è dedicata ai libri per bambini. Tavoli e scaffali fanno parte di un allestimento temporaneo d’autore/i, messo a disposizione da importanti aziende di design che hanno deciso di partecipare al progetto: oltre ai libri, è infatti possibile acquistare anche oggetti e i piccoli complementi d’arredo.

Pietro and Ilaria from 121 + temporary bookshop in Milano introduce the temporary concept store model, that is characterised by a certain limit of time duration and by the high specificity and quality of the products proposed.


The participants of the project are invited to conceive and develop an idea of possible temporary shops for Montevarchi. This workshop represents a big opportunity for the city to valorise some of its spaces which are no longer in use. It actually comes from the specific needs of finding good uses to many abandoned spaces in Montevarchi city centre, which have been expressed by the citizens during the Identitá al centro project.

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21st May 2010 / 21 Maggio 2010

Second day of Methods. The Workshop is leading the participants to the new focus of the day: the social system.

The second day of the workshop starts with the introduction of artway of thinking, as moment of starting point and liaison between the results of yesterday and the goals of today. From the human being to the social system as subject of the natural and spontaneous aspect of transformation: this is the change of focus, which the participants have to refer to.

This crossing of focuses seems to happen naturally and not a priori: the contributions that were collected yesterday from the focus group activities stressed the importance that people conferred to the space, the environment, as necessary element in the self definition of the human being .

The first speech of the day is held by Fabio Pettirino, who explains the anthropological and ethnological methodology that he applies for projects living in the border between ethnology and museology. Fabio defines the approach which he uses as a “mayeutic” one, i.e. an approach based on the idea that the truth is latent in the mind of every human being due to his innate reason but has to be “given birth” by answering questions. At the same time, Fabio stresses the importance of starting from a behavioural perspective of the persons,  leading the research to the context.

“Engage yourself for a social change” seems to be the most appropriate slogan to define Chris Naylor, who egaged himself  in a “Robin Hood organisation” (as Chris defines) to enhance projects based on art as process of transformation. Chris identifies 4 elements in the method he adopted during the last years, which are resumed by the following words: adventure, process of making,  be ex – pression,  change. Another definition that seems to be very useful in this context is that of politics, given by Chris: politics identified with the role of ordering, giving harmony to communities to live together.

The contributions of the first part of the morning produce a new point of discussion, concerning social nature and the way people live in a social system : “What is natural? Is natural a flatable social system – (organised by the role of the “facilitator”) – or a vertical one (organised by the role of the “leader”)? Federica Thiene of artway of thinking opens a debate, involving different participants.

The journey through methodologies continues with Mary Jane Jacob’s contribution, concerning art, buddhism and dimensions of conciousness. The basic idea of her speech is the connection between art and spirituality, as individual and social common needs. Mary’s  proposal is to open ourselves to art, using the same dynamic that is applied in meditation: from the outside (the environment) to the inside (ourselves) and viceversa. Meditation is the metaphor used by Mary to explain what “contribution” is.

Another approach presented is the historical one, explained by the professor Luigi Zanzi, who introduces the principles of the historical methodology, leading the participants to the pilosophical and scientific field. From Platon and Heraclito to termodynamics, Zanzi gives a deep and brilliant form to some key concepts, that are used in our daily life, such as equilibrium, transformation and change.

Lunch break comes. In the courtyard of Cittadellarte, in front of the cafeteria, many t-shirts of different colours, hanging like little flags , represent Caccadura’s “wild serigraphy happening”.  Their fresh intervention is taking place all day long,  inviting people to participate in the process of creation.

The first part of the afternoon is dedicated to new methods: Wochenklausur (represented by Claudia Eipeldauer) presents the organisation composed of mostly 90% by artists. Claudia explains the “small- scale action” as method applied by the artists involved in the project to generate small but tangible change in society.  Wochenklausurbelieves that social art  has to relate to the location people are in and to the communication between the artists and the persons who will be involved in the transformation. It is very important to understand the context of these individuals without any preconceived ideas about them or their situations. To be able to do that, artists have to do a lot of research, developed a deep knowledge about personal situations and they must ask for the inputs of those concerned.

“As Art has to be connected with daily life, how can we enter daily life? We have to use elements in our life. Life in my country (Egypt) means too many emotions. We have to take them as a tool to reach the person in front of you”. This is the basis of the empathic approach conceived by Gudran, which Aliaa explains in terms of respect and support for people , which is translated to art projects, aiming at reaching people in their daily life.

“Sustainability “is the main focus of the approach presented by Alessio Sciurpa (wwambient), who explains what environmental communication is, and the right message that he thinks people should assume: thanks to technologies, we have so many possibilities to interact with nature and society, but the right approach is using technology in an ethical way.

The speech session ends with Daniel Urrea’s contribution, who introduces by skype the main goal of Medellin Digital: “to foster and make easier the good use of technologies”. In a very spontaneous way, Daniel informs about the activities of Medellin Digital, basically composed of three key activities: using and spreading connectivity; providing contents and services; producing and spreading digital culture, all of them related to the project of Open School.

The second part of the afternoon is concentrated into the focus group activity of the day, where people are reorganised in different groups for discussing about social system as focus of discussion about natural and spontaneous aspects of transformation.

The day activities ends with movement and dance, offered by Christina Medina with her mapping project, and Max Rapkin’s muscle test check. After many hours of concentration and brainstorming, people need to relax themselves and start to communicate with different languages of expression. They can enjoy with Eliana’s relaxing massages or with a new Rosanna’s cooking lesson.

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Rosanna proposes:
Poor cooking from Salento and Tuscany: “ciceri e tria” – freshly made pasta cooked with chickpeas, “pappa col pomodoro” tomato and bread soup, cheese and “cotognata” (sweet compote of fruit). Pasta is hand made in the afternoon, the production is open to participants.

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Chiara talked with Christina. Check it in day one about human transformation.

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Through Skype and while organizing a major event, Urrea still finds the time to tell us about the importance of learning and empowering invidiuals to seek the education that they need. Serious, hardworking, and committed, Urrea is an inspiration.

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Scurpa does not leave any space for non-sense; he insists on avoiding the use of wirds that are environmentally trendy, such as green, when in reality they are not. Awareness that cooperations use these words to mislead the public is key.

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MARY JANE JACOB:  5 points of … (Chiara meets Mary, 5 p.m.)

1. The Intensity and the shared frustration of the people in this group is to try to express something that is completely present but invisible. This is a contradiction, that is present in our society: art is a part of life; we find it in daily life but we have to put it back because it has been evaporated
2. We think that art  is in our everyday life but sometimes we aren’t able to see it. The reason is that art has been collected and locked in a museum and institutions.
3. Even if there are people who deny it, art is an essential need, as it was in old traditions, as buddism recognized. It has the same structure of meditation: 2 dynamics involved, i.e. taking and contributing, in other words the movement from the inside  to the outside.
4. We have to get in touch with our spirituality in our everyday life, and in art as well.

There is a cohexistence among the mind of meditation – the mind ofcreation – the mind of recreation: the first is represented by buddism – the second one is the artist – the tirad is us. The message inside this coexistence is: open your mind to have a deeper inside – make something for others – open your mind to be a part of society, i. e. contribution

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3 KEY POINTS ABOUT PROCESSES

1- Difference between change and transformation – that means a difference of quality or of degree

2- This is about a ‘making’ process – is it art?

3- This is about the ‘co’ of co-production, co-operation, and about the ‘ex’ of  ex-pression – but with the addition of ‘en’ as in en-gage (which I used to work for and will explain in what I say about Context).

En>>Co<<Ex

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Not roots but routes

Anthropology = method to investigate human beings and society

Ethnography is not describing what you observe.
x Ethnography can describe social changes but cannot make the change.
x Maieutic culture assumes that we do not HAVE culture but that we DO culture.
Not ROOTS but ROUTES.

Familiarity breeds indifference.
Unveiling different cultural routes towards a narrative hook to biography.

Processes of change can be:
– conceptual (new dimension for intercultural dialogue)
– practical (a different relationship in museal space)

Museums could be real meeting places.
Anthropology is one of the only disciplines which destroys its subject.

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Platon – square or polygons – regularity
Héraclite – varied and contrasty forms that can generate transformation

The passage from disorder to order was considered something negative.
Transformation was not a fact – all disciplines were considered stories instead of science.

The thermodynamics, by looking at how energy can be turned into work, introduced the concept of transformation in the scientific field.

The most efficient thermodynamic transformation processes are out of equilibrium (different levels of energy).
Nature goes spontaneously to equilibrium.

Non equilibrium -> fluctuation -> dissipation of energy -> emergence of a structure (entropy)

nature creates entropy but sometimes lessen entropy
so not only creation of labour but also creation of individuals
we must find a way to foster creativity without increasing entropy

Political science cannot determine the output of a process but only help to understand it.

The idea of change has not been looked at before the first achievements in thermodynamics. The fundamental principle of thermodymanics – how energy can be turned from heat to mechanical work and vice-versa – introduced the concept of “transformation” in society.

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We cannot transform ourselves without the others.

In order to change you need to detouch from your ego and from yourself.(Michelangelo Pistoletto)

Changing is easier when doing it in a group.

Every transformation is a mixture of collaborative processes (co-creation, co-production, co-llaboration).

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a gift from caccadura to methods

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