JOURNEY INTO FRAGILITY
The twelve theses of the “Arenzano Manifesto for the Earth and the Human Being”
Journey into Fragility is an itinerant project conceived by the artist Maria Rebecca Ballestra , and inspired by the “Carta di Arenzano per la Terra e per l’Uomo – the “Arenzano Manifesto for the Earth and the Human Being”. The Manifesto’s twelve theses have inspired twelve different projects in as many countries around the world (February 2012 – January 2013), with the aim of developing an active dialogue on the environment and on the value of life on Earth.
The second stage of the journey will take place in Switzerland from 18th to 27th March 2012. Here, reflecting on the Manifesto’s first thesis “a relationship with the earth also includes responsibilities and duties”, Rebecca will meditate on the role of politics as representative of the interests of a single country in the interconnected world of today. The questions posed revolve around a central dilemma: can politics modify itself in order to preserve the human species and the earth which hosts it?
In association with Kalart and Progr – Zentrum fur Kulturproduktion (www.progr.ch), a full programme has been organised with meetings, conferences and workshops with other artists, with the intention of sharing ideas and possible interpretations of the relationship between art, science and the environment. Rebecca will create a video work with the video-artist Luca Coclite.
Concept and programme follow.
A relationship with the earth also includes responsibilities and duties
First thesis of the “Arenzano manifesto for Man and the Earth”
Can we still regard politics as only society’s administrative and organisational system?
Can politics still consider itself as only the expression of a country? Can it alone represent a country’s national interests? Faced with an interconnected world, undergoing drastic and global changes – population growth, environmental disasters which go beyond national borders, over and above culture and religion – can we still accept that politics has a vision that is short-sighted and limited by its own territorial borders?
Or instead can we imagine a new political approach, capable of discussing the interests of man as a species, in order to maintain that species’ continuity and safety? Can we think of enlightened global politics that override the personal interests of each nation with the aim of establishing and planning a new movement dedicated to safeguarding our species and the planet which hosts us? Can politics have such a long-term vision?
Can politics modify itself in such a way as to create a new system that goes beyond statistical and economic forecasts, and considers man as an individual, with an intellect which is capable of thinking, creating, inventing and imagining the best for itself and others?
Given that the Swiss Confederation has a long history of neutrality, and is often involved in the process of building world peace, it is the ideal place to begin a discussion on our planet as a common resource of human beings.
Rebecca Ballestra will create a video project in association with the video artist Luca Coclide, involving the
people and international institutions. The video will deal with the possibility of imagining a global political organisation capable of taking care of the environment’s destiny and of planning a long-term policy on a global scale with the aim of safeguarding the planet and its resources for mankind.
Programme
Public Conference:
Public Conference:
CONTACTS
Organisation Secretary
AdAC (Archivio d’Arte Contemporanea) (Contemporary Art Archive)
Università degli Studi di Genova – University of Genoa
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Web: www.journeyintogragility.com
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