Page 179 - Luigi Pericle_Beyondthevisible PRESS REVIEW Formal.pdf

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GretaBiasca-CaronitelsusaboutLuigiPericle:therevelationandthe“posthumousnes” AfterthepublicationofthearticleconcerningtheexhibitionofLuigiPericleattheFondazioneQueriniStampaliainVenice,wehaveinterviewedGretaBiasca-Caroniwho
foundedtheArchivioLuigiPericlewithherhusbandAndreaoneyearago.Here’swhatshehasdisclosed.
D.M.A.-Couldyourecounthow Periclewasandhow wastheArchivioborn?How haveyoumanagedtocomeintoposesionofhishouseandcolection?
G.B.C.-Ionlymethim once,whereasmyhusbandAndreausedtofrequenthishouseinhischildhoodastheywereneighbourshereinAscona.Sometimes,whenhewas younger,Andreausedtoorganizesomesoiréesathome,soheusedtovisitPericleinordertoaskhim permisiontomakesomenoiseintheevening.Periclewasalways inagreementandusedtotakeadvantageoftheopportunitytospeakaboutmisticism withAndrea.Infact,Andreadidn’tknow thatPericlewasapainter,sincehethought hewasascholarofesotericism.Howevertheyusedtotalkofhoroscopes,theosophyandreligions.Althoughtheyonlymetafew times:Periclewassuperdiscreetand n e v e r w a n te d to le a v e h is h o u s e . S o th e y m e t o n th e fe w o c c a s io n s w h e n A n d re a u s e d to g iv e a p a rty . P e ric le w a s o n ly a n a c q u a in ta n c e w h e n I g o t e n g a g e d to A n d re a . It waswintertimeandPericlecaledusfrom awindow ofhishouse,sowewentinandpaidhim avisit.Itwasashortencounter.WesimplychatedbutIrememberhim so wel!Hewasacharismaticman,socharming,kindandfascinating.Whenhepasedawayin2001werealizedthathishousewouldhavebeenabandonedbecausePericle hadleftnoheirs.Wewouldhavewantedtopurchasethehouseinordertosetlethere,butthegovernmenttookfifteenyearslookingforpotentialdescendents.Thenthe housewasputupforauctionandeventualywegotit.Thegovernmentsoldtheentirepremises;Imean,inthesamewayPericlehadleftitwithalitscontent:clothes, documents,books.Everything.Ofcourse,wehadtorestoreit.Youcanimagineinwhichconditionitwasafterfifteenyearsinstateoftotalabandon.Thenwefoundhis paintings,carefulyenclosedinsomewoodenboxes:Periclewasawareofthevalueofhisartworkssohehadmadesurethattheywouldn'thavebeendamagedlateron. Please,considerthattherestorerfrom Brerahadonlyremainedthereadaytoworkonthem.Whilelookingaround,Andreafoundsomecataloguessuchastheonesby StaechelinwhohadputPericlewithGauguin,VanGoghandsoon.Weinstantlyrealizedwehadencounteredsomethingveryimportant:Periclewasnotonlyanamateur aswehadthoughtuntilthen.From there,everythinggotstarted:webegantoaskforsomescientificopinionssuchastheonebyPhilippeDaverio.Everybodyclaimedit w a s w o rth g o in g o n a n d re s e a rc h in g . I e v e n g a v e u p m y jo b in o rd e r to e n tire ly d e v o te m y s e lf to th is n e w a c tiv ity . A fte r o n e y e a r, w e e s ta b lis h e d th e n o n p ro fi t a s s o c ia tio n ArchivioLuigiPericle.Firstofalwecataloguedhisartworksbutwearegoingtoorganizehisdocumentsaswel.
D.M.A.-IntheexhibitioncataloguethereisaveryinterestingesaybyMarcoPasiwhereonecanfindwritenthatLuigiPericlebelongstothatgroupof20thcentury artistsandwriterswhoentrustedtheirworktowhatcouldbedefinedas“posthumousnes”.Posthumousnesmanifestsitselfwhenanauthordoesnotwishorisunable tohavetheirworkacknowledgedandappreciatedwhilestillive,thusprojectingitintoatemporalimboofobscuritywhereitcanlingerfordecadesor,potentialy,forever. Posthumousnestakesonitsrealmeaningwhenaworkisendowedwithsuchanaestheticenergyastochalengeandultimatelybreakawayfrom itsstateofoblivion. T h is m ig h t o c c u r g ra d u a l ly a n d s lo w ly , o r w ith a n u n e x p e c te d s u d d e n re d is c o v e ry , d e p e n d in g o n th e c o n d itio n s o f th e m a te ria l a n d th e c u ltu ra l c o n te x t in w h ic h posthumousnesissetinmotionandisfinalybroughttoanend.
ThenPasidelvesintothedetailsofthetopic:whileexaminingthereasonsofthisphenomenonhecomparesPericle’scasewiththatofVincentVanGogh,HilmaofKlimt, EmmaKunzandGeorgianaHoughton.Whatdoyouthinkaboutit?Doyouagreewiththisoverview?
G.B.C.-Absolutely.Alofusagreeonthispoint.AcordingtoMarco,theconceptof“posthumousnes”referstoPericlesincehehadchosentobeahermit.Afterthe stratosphericsalesworldwide,Periclevoluntarilyhadmovedawayfrom thefrivolousartsystem.Asamateroffact,hedidn’tneedmoremoney,ashecouldeasilylive withtheearningswhichcamefrom thesalesofhispaintingsandfrom therightsof“Maxthemarmot”.Inawaythissucesasanilustratoractualyembarasedhim as wediscoveredinsomeletersfoundinhishouse.Hewasdiscreetandunselfish.Acordingtohim,theworldintheSixtieswasnotreadytoaceptandunderstandhis messages.Hisretreatfrom theworldwasfirstlyconfinedtoartprofesionalsandatacertainpointhadalsoinvolvedhisfriends:heonlyusedtowriteorphonethem sometimes.Heonlyspenttimewithhiswife.Whenshedied,heevenstoppedtalkingtothem.Heknew thatsoonerorlatersomeonewouldhavefoundhisartworksand wouldhavelookedafterthem.Hewasinterestedinthecreativeproces,butpreferedtoentrustothersintermsofspreadinghisworks.So,thisisexactlywherewe cameintoplay.