Page 183 - Luigi Pericle_Beyondthevisible PRESS REVIEW 2021.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 permissiontomakesomenoiseintheevening.Periclewasalways inagreementandusedtotakeadvantageoftheopportunitytospeakaboutmisticism withAndrea.Infact,Andreadidn’tknow thatPericlewasapainter,sincehethought hewasascholarofesotericism.Howevertheyusedtotalkofhoroscopes,theosophyandreligions.Althoughtheyonlymetafew times:Periclewassuperdiscreetand neverwantedtoleavehishouse.Sotheymetonthefew occasionswhenAndreausedtogiveaparty.PericlewasonlyanacquaintancewhenIgotengagedtoAndrea.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 wasworthgoingonandresearching.Ievengaveupmyjobinordertoentirelydevotemyselftothisnew activity.Afteroneyear,weestablishedthenonprofitassociation ArchivioLuigiPericle.Firstofalwecataloguedhisartworksbutwearegoingtoorganizehisdocumentsaswel.
D.M.A.-IntheexhibitioncataloguethereisaveryinterestingessaybyMarcoPasiwhereonecanfindwritenthatLuigiPericlebelongstothatgroupof20thcentury 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 posthumousnessissetinmotionandisfinalybroughttoanend.
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”.Inawaythissucesasanilustratoractualyembarassedhim as wediscoveredinsomeletersfoundinhishouse.Hewasdiscreetandunselfish.Acordingtohim,theworldintheSixtieswasnotreadytoacceptandunderstandhis messages.Hisretreatfrom theworldwasfirstlyconfinedtoartprofesionalsandatacertainpointhadalsoinvolvedhisfriends:heonlyusedtowriteorphonethem sometimes.Heonlyspenttimewithhiswife.Whenshedied,heevenstoppedtalkingtothem.Heknew thatsoonerorlatersomeonewouldhavefoundhisartworksand wouldhavelookedafterthem.Hewasinterestedinthecreativeproces,butpreferedtoentrustothersintermsofspreadinghisworks.So,thisisexactlywherewe cameintoplay.
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