L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano The bottle itself is beauti- ful, with a golden cap repre- senting the Earth. "The pro- duction of these bottles was quite expensive and compli- cated. The cap is indeed a jewel; it was created by our friend and jeweler, Sebas- tiano D'Augusta, who hand- crafted it as a miniature plan- et Earth. The glass company is Italian, making the bottle 100% Made in Italy. We went to such lengths because we wanted a credible result. Like all real perfume brands, we envision a sequel, a second advertisement, and a new bottle. We also plan to make a documentary about our American tour focusing on water issues here." Looking at his artworks, Max's style surprises for lack- ing obvious meanings and an ordinary approach. Moving between the idea of "political- ly incorrect" and futurism, his vision takes some ele- m e n t s f r o m t h e p a s t a n d turns them into something totally new to achieve future or alternative ideologies. "My earlier projects addressed themes that had a relative duration. But certain prob- lems, like the water crisis and climate change, are existen- tial; they will only pass if we ics industry. "For the simula- tion to be truly effective and realistic, we had to go all-in. M a x h a s t h a t n o t o r i o u s p r o v o c a t i v e s t y l e , a n d I h e l p e d g i v e i t a c r e d i b l e , high-end aesthetic. We want- ed the event to look exactly like a glamorous Milanese perfume launch, with cham- pagne, caviar, and the grand setup. The idea was that no one should suspect this sleek, glossy bottle was actually a commentary on the water cri- s i s . T h e s e t u p h a d t o b e grand, and no one should s u s p e c t a n y t h i n g , " s h e explained. What happened when attendees were intro- duced to the real "fragrance" has definitely become a story to be told: "We had perfectly d r e s s e d h o s t e s s e s a t t h e entrance, spraying water onto a card and saying, "Would you like to try?" People com- pletely immersed themselves in the situation. Someone even genuinely compliment- ed the scent, saying, "I'm not exaggerating, guys, congratu- lations because the fragrance is amazing." I would have paid to see their faces when, during the talk two hours l a t e r , w e s a i d , " I t ' s j u s t water." The shock was the core of the art." solve them, otherwise, it will be us who pass. My previous project was called Extinction. I'm reaching that age where you're less inclined to focus on fleeting things and want to touch on absolute themes. Arianna and I managed to create a project with a strong concept and a very strong aesthetic that tends toward the absolute. We're asking people: what is more absolute than water? This is how my art evolved from addressing "fleeting" political themes to more 'absolute' themes." B o t h M a x a n d A r i a n n a admitted they are not scien- tists, but they feel compelled to talk about the water crisis. "We read a lot and document ourselves because the data is terrifying, but we believe we can create awareness on a topic that often isn't very catchy. The water crisis is boring; it feels distant. We s k i p t h o s e c a m p a i g n s o n YouTube because it doesn't concern us as long as we have clean water. As long as things don't touch us, we don't think it's a problem," they reflected. "We've been asking people what water means to them, and 29 out of 30 interviewees have said life. So how can water be boring? We realized that, if documentarians creat- ing amazing masterpieces can't evoke mass empathy, we have to do it ourselves, maybe in a crazy, fun, maybe even silly way, using all the entertainment tricks at our disposal." What change do you hope E a u d e E a u i n s p i r e s , w e asked. "Most people think it will never be the responsibili- ty of the individual citizen. If w e a r e a l l a w a r e o f i t , i t becomes a collective respon- sibility. We need to be able to say this is an emergency, p e r i o d . W e n e e d t o s t a r t pushing future governments to act. This exhibit is about m a k i n g s e n s e , n o t a b o u t sheer aesthetics. We're happy to start here in California, where there is already great sensitivity on these topics." Eau de Eau is on its tour across America, with stops in California (San Francisco and Los Angeles), as well as Washington DC and New York City. symbol, possibly an exagger- ation. "The gold cap is the physical manifestation of that exorbitant price point. It signifies that the water inside isn't a two- or three-dollar commodity anymore; it's a precious asset. While the idea is exaggerated now, the actu- al risk that water doesn't reach everyone is real if we c o n t i n u e o n o u r c u r r e n t path," she stated. "The data is terrifying: in t h e n e x t t w e n t y y e a r s , demand for fresh water will skyrocket while the amount we have on the planet stays the same and is increasingly poorly distributed due to cli- m a t e c h a n g e . " P a p e s c h i a d d e d : " T h e d e m a n d f o r fresh water could actually double its availability in cer- tain parts of the world. By p u t t i n g o u r s e l v e s i n t h e shoes of those who would promote and profit from it, we're trying to highlight the magnitude of the problem. We become the villains who deliver the message." The project's premiere in M i l a n w a s a n e x c l u s i v e , hyper-realistic launch event. We asked Arianna what was the thought behind using the seductive language and aes- thetics of the luxury cosmet- I t a l i a n c o n c e p t u a l a r t i s t s M a x Papeschi and Ari- a n n a B o n u c c i b r o u g h t t h e i r provocative art project, Eau de Eau. The Art of the Water Crisis, to the Italian Cultural Institute in San F r a n c i s c o w i t h a g r a n d o p e n i n g o n O c t o b e r 7 t h . Papeschi returns to the Bay Area after his 2017 exhibit, Fifty Shades of Gold. Togeth- er with Art Director and Pho- tographer Arianna Bonucci, he is now challenging the public's perception of water's value by creating a fake luxu- ry perfume. IIC Director Alberta Lai set the stage for the evening, noting that "Through the pro- ject, Max Papeschi and Ari- anna Bonucci, with refined irony, call attention to the global problem of the water crisis. The luxurious bottle conceals a mysterious con- tent; in reality, it solicits an a w a k e n i n g r e g a r d i n g t h e incommensurable value of water, a vital principle and a good to be protected." The core idea behind Eau de Eau is incredibly provoca- t i v e : a f i c t i o n a l " m u l t i - nation" selling water at an outrageous price. A dystopian premise, in Papeschi's own w o r d s : " W e i m a g i n e d a future, a scary, but potential- ly realistic one, where the water crisis has progressed so f a r t h a t f r e s h w a t e r i s a scarcity. Our fictional multi- nation capitalizes on this, packaging water to sell it exclusively to the rich at an exorbitant price, essentially making it worth more than gold. The product, today, is a fake, however, it comes from t h i s d y s t o p i a n t o m o r r o w where the most important thing for life is sold at the weight of gold to the very few who can afford it." Arianna Bonucci brings a unique, eclectic touch to the exhibit, thanks to her experi- ence blending arts and pho- tography across the beauty, food, fashion, and luxury worlds. The bottle comes with a gold cap, a powerful Max Papeschi and Arianna Bonucci presenting Eau de Eau at the IIC San Francisco (Photo: Enrica Cavalli) The dystopian luxury of "Eau de Eau" by artists Max Papeschi and Arianna Bonucci SERENA PERFETTO SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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