GENERAL IDEA

MAKE A FIGURE/FIGURES IN BREAD

PLACE IT IN PIAZZA SAN MARCO - VENICE

TO BE EATEN BY THE PIGEONS

AS A CONTRIBUTION - COMMENTARY TO THE

BIENNALE

FOLLOWING:

EXTRACTS FROM A CADAVER'S NOTE BOOK

(THE TRUE STORY)

MEETING AT CHIARAVALLE, MILANO,  NICOLA'S (AND ROBERTO'S) STUDIO

DUTY FREE DRINKS PROSCIUTTO AND WHINE TO BE WELCOME ON TUNE

HOT DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE FIGURE/FIGURES: 1,2,3,4? SITTING, LAYING, STANDING?

MALE, FEMALE, BOTH?

ABSTRACTIONS - CONCEPTUAL STANDARDS - ETC.

TECHNICALITIES = CAST IN PLASTER TO GET A NEGATIVE FORM

FILL IT UP WITH BREAD-PASTE = POSITIVE IN BREAD

SOUNDS EASY

1ST STEP

ITALY IS THE COUNTRY OF THE GESSO (PLASTER) RIGHT?

NICOLA AND DANIEL RUN AWAY AND COME BACK WITH 50K "GESSO RAPIDO"

1ST TEST .........CAST OF A HAND

WAIT AND WAIT _ GESSO NEVER GETS HARD

TRY AGAIN _ SAME THING

WRONG GESSO -> GET NEW GESSO

DRIVING AROUND MILANO ALL DAY

(DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO DRIVE MILANO

LOOKING FOR UNKNOWN ADDRESSES 32° C 90% HUMIDITY RUSH HOUR?)

WHEN YOU GET THERE - WHEREVER IT IS - IT´S CLOSED

NO NEW GESSO

2ND STEP

CHANGING METHOD / FORGET THE GESSO WE DO THE CAST WITH "GASA GESSATA"

(PLASTERED BANDAGE - YOU KNOW - THE ONE USED WHEN ONE BREAKS A LEG)

EASY - SURE - AND VERY EXPENSIVE

DRIVING MILANO ALL DAY AGAIN

FROM PHARMACY TO PHARMACY - ONE SMALL PACKET HERE

TWO IN THE NEXT ...........AND SO ON

BACK TO CHIARAVALLE MAKE A TEST

THE GESSO SIMPLY FALLS APART FROM THE GASA

ALL PACKETS THE SAME CONCLUSION = NEVER BREAK A LEG IN MILANO

1ST STEP REVISITED

(OBVIOUSLY THINGS WHERE GOING THEIR OWN WAY)

FINALLY NEW GESSO

IT'S GOING TO BE A (ONE) MADONNA (SITTING)

THIS GESSO NEEDS, ALSO, LONG TIME TO DRY -

WHILE WORKING ON THE TORSO, THE CAST OF THE BREAST SLIPS

SLOWLY DOWN -

TO DRY HALF WAY TO THE BELLY = LONG

FLAT

HANGING TEATS

IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY OLD MADONNA (SITTING)

NOT ENOUGH VASELINE TO COVER ALL HAIR -> WE MAKE

A WIG WITH THE REFILLING OF A SOFA

- LOOKS KIND OF AFRO -

AWFUL

INGRID DON'T WANT TO GET THE FACE PLASTERED

- CLAUSTROPHOBIA -

WE DO DANIEL'S INSTEAD

IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY OLD MADONNA (SITTING)

WITH AN ESTRANGE MASCULINE EXPRESSION

AND A 60'S HAIRCUT

3RD STEP

BREAD EGGS SUGAR

WE'VE GOT THIS HUGE PLASTIC BAGS WITH BREAD

FROM MIMO 'IL BARBAS' DI CHIARAVALLE

AND ALL THE NEIGHBOURS CAME ALONG WITH THEIR BREAD TOO

(EVERYBODY IN THE VILLAGE WAS HIGHLY INTERESTED

ABOUT WHAT WE WERE DOING

PARTICULARLY THE CASTING OF THE TORSO)

BUT

IT WASN'T DRY -> SO, SLICE IT AND LET IT DRY UNDER THE ITALIAN SUN

- SMASH IT IN A PLASTIC BUCKET

SMALL ENOUGH TO MAKE A PASTE

PROPORTIONS:

300 GR. BREAD

3 EGGS

½ GLASS SUGAR-WATER

FILL UP THE NEGATIVE PLASTER FORMS WHIT THE PASTE

MAKE A SYSTEM OF RIBS (VERY ARCHITECTURAL)

TO REINFORCE THE FORM

FRONT AND BACK PARTS OF THE LEGS - ETC.

PUT THE THING UNDER THE SUN AND WAIT -

AFTER ONE DAY WE WHERE SURE = THIS IS GOING TO TAKE

A COMPLETE WEEK TO DRY

IN 3 DAYS WE SHOULD BE IN S. MARCO

LET'S PANIC NOW

4TH STEP

CONTACT BAKERS

TRY TO DRY IT WITH A TORCH

BURN CANDLES TO SAN AGUSTIN

- NOTHING -

LAST SOLUTION = CUT THE FORMS IN SMALL PIECES

TO MAKE THEM FIT IN A HOME-SIZE OVEN

AND DRY IT

5TH STEP

WELL, IT DID DRY IN THE OVEN

BUT THE HEAT DISSOLVED THE VASELINE INTO THE GESSO

AND THE BREAD PASTE GOT STUCKed IN THE PLASTER SOOO MUCH

THAT WE HAVE TO PEEL IT OFF FROM IT

SURGERY WAY

SOME PARTS CAME OUT WELL, SOME NOT SO WELL

AND SOME IN THOUSAND SMALL TINY LITTLE BITS

(DARK CLOUDS ALL OVER)

6TH STEP

MAKE A FIGURE OUT OF THAT!

ROBERTO CAME UP WITH THE IDEA = SEW IT (BRILLIANT)

DRIVE MILANO ETC. (WE LEARN RAPIDLY)

A REAL PUZZLE

FILL it UP WITH BREAD + PASTE

GLUE WITH EGG, SEW AND TIE IN LARGER PIECES

WRAP IT IN BANDAGE AND OFF TO VENICE