L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 www.italoamericano.com 6 Ve n i c e a n d i t s cl i c h é t h r o u g h p h o t o g r ap h e r R e n a t o D'agostin's lens Venice, the beautiful city which turned to be a cliché due to the million tourists' shots: t h a t ' s t h e m e t a p h o r b e h i n d Renato D'Agostin's exhibition, which opened at Leica Gallery in San Francisco in October. Renato, born in 1983, started as photographer in 2001. We met h i m i n t h e B a y A r e a f o r t h e launch of his last book, called The Beautiful Cliché, where he offers the magical aspects of the Lagoon city, usually left out in other representations. W h i c h p e r s p e c t i v e o f Venice did you want to give to your viewers? I t h i n k t h a t , o v e r y e a r s , Venice has been reduced to a representation made of post- cards and this has built a com- m o n i m a g e r y o f s t e r e o t y p e d visual elements. I wanted to change and give everyone an unusual perspective. You shoot just in Black & White. Was it the right choice for a city like Venice? The majority of my photog- r a p h y i s i n b l a c k a n d w h i t e . T h i s i s h o w I s t a r t e d a n d I immediately understood it was t h e c o r r e c t a l p h a b e t f o r m y visual language. The simplicity w o r k s w e l l w i t h m y g r a p h i c images, and defines the lines of tension in them. The best thing of Black & White is that photos can make t h e p e r s o n l i v e m o m e n t s besides their historical con- text. What do you think? B l a c k a n d w h i t e i s m o r e silent than colour and better fits the timeless feeling I look for. The image lives through years without precisely being related to a specific moment. I have been shooting some color films recently, but I prefer black and white. This also because the darkroom is an important aspect to understand and my study my photography. Why is it important for you to keep all your photos in a book? When I started working on my first work in Tokyo, I real- ized that the best form for the project was a book. It embodies SERENA PERFETTO and protects the project as the p h o t o g r a p h e r c o n c e i v e d i t . E x h i b i t i o n s t e n d t o c h a n g e depending on the space avail- able, the curator, the size of the prints, the color of the walls, and many other elements. The book always preserves the same characteristics, whether you are in Tokyo, New York, or else- where. It will always have the same sequencing and feeling through its pages. It has become the way to introduce my work to the world, and I decided to apply it to all my projects. The Beautiful Cliché, organ- ised by Leica Gallery in part- nership with the Italian Institute o f C u l t u r e , w i l l r u n u n t i l January 31. Mon - Fri: 10am- 6 p m ; S a t : 1 0 a m - 4 p m . L e i c a Gallery, 463 Bush Street, San Francisco Renato D'Agostin. Photo credit: Leica Store and Gallery San Francisco Dec. 5, Fri.- An evening with Michelle Longega Wilson, An 8- year-old Amazon best-selling Italian-American Author. Bring your children for an entertaining and inspiring evening of fun. Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco Info http://www.iic- sanfrancisco.esteri.it. For information: (415) 788-7142 . Dec. 6, Sat.-Madonna Del Lume Annual Christmas Party at Fior d'Italia Restaurant (2237 Mason St., San Francisco). 11:30am-4pm. Adults, $60 p.p., Kids, $20 p.p. No host bar. RSVP by Dec. 1st to Antonia Sanfilippo Ferretti (650) 296- 9925. F or inf or mation: A ntonia ( 650) 29 6 - 9 9 2 5 , Ro s e Cannizzaro (415) 474-9995 or email mdlnewssf@yahoo.com Dec. 9, Tues.-Dionisio's Sculpture Exploration: A lecture by international artist Dionisio Cimarelli. In this lecture, Dionisio will comment on his progress in the field of sculpture and drawing from the early 1980s to the present. Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco Info http://www.iicsanfrancisco.este- ri.it. For information: (415) 788-7142. Dec. 10, Wed. BAIA will celebrate the upcoming holiday sea- s on w it h a s p ecia l ed itio n o f th e m o n t h ly a p erit iv o. Taste delicious Italian food and Prosecco glasses to celebrate in style! 6pm to 9pm at Monroe @ 437 Broadway St, San F r ancis co. I nf o at h ttp ://lin k . b aia-n etw o r k . o rg /ev en ts / event/listUpcoming Dec. 17, Wed. - Cinema and Jazz: Gianni Amico Three short films about jazz by Amico and Maccioni. Come and see three short films about jazz by and about the film director, documen- tary filmmaker, screenwriter and cultural promoter Gianni Amico (1933-90), a unique and eclectic figure in Italian cinema. I talian Cultural Ins titute o f S an Francisco Info http://www.iicsanfrancisco.esteri.it. For informa- tion: (415) 788-7142 as vendors noticed at the end of the second day, after one hour from the opening, people were much more interested in making purchases, probably also because of the approaching of Thanksgiving's week. From pasta, olive oil, wine, to books, jewels, clothes and bags, small art crafts, and marble Christmas day is less than a month away but, two weeks ago in San Francisco, people could get a first 'taste' of the holiday spirit, thanks to the Mercato di Natale at Fort Mason Center. The Christmas Market has been organised by the Museo Italo-Americano in collaboration with D.I.V.E. (Donne Italiane che Vivono all'Estero), a group of women expats living in the Bay Area. The idea which inspired Giulietta and Leonora comes from the popular Christmas European Markets: last year, for the first time, they asked Italian vendors from the Bay Area to gather under the same roof to create a special warm Christmas atmosphere and give people a chance to buy arti- sanal gifts and goodies, all made in Italy. As Giulietta told us, this sec- ond edition attracted affectionate Italians who want to live their Natale like in the homeland, for instance without missing tradi- tional foods on their holiday table. At the same time, it has become an opportunity, for both Americans and the multicultural San Francisco community, to dis- cover Italian artcrafts, specialties, wine, and more. The success of the event was surprisingly good: objects, the market was opportu- nities to buy what Christmas lovers need for the upcoming hol- idays. Finally, a small café was also set under the main pavilion: "La forchetta" catering offered indeed some space to taste the best Italian delicateness, either before or after taking a walk throughout stands. SERENA PERFETTO Mercato di Natale, living the magic of Italian Christmas An image from the exhibition. Photo credit: Wayne Serrano Leonora di Mauro with writer Michelle Wilson, author of "Le avventure di Giulia"

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