Careof presents Cattedrale, a project by Cosimo Veneziano curated by Denis Isaia. Cattedrale originates from an installation by Cosimo Veneziano created within the context of the exhibition Il luogo è sempre specifico (PAC, Ferrara 2010, curated by Martina Angelotti), the result of the artist’s investigation into certain works in the museum’s collection by artists who had promising early careers. For various reasons, however, these artists were eventually absorbed into circuits of lesser cultural significance and progressively disappeared from art history and the market.

Following this intervention, Cosimo Veneziano started a dialogue with Denis Isaia to explore the mechanisms behind the genesis and consolidation of contemporary art ecosystems. From the reflections and research conducted, a “mother map” was created, depicting a synthesis of the mechanisms and rules that have determined value in art history. The map was complemented by a slideshow dedicated to some icons of the project: group photos of artists who created manifestos or artistic movements, photos of artists who won lesser-known awards, images of exhibitions, and candid shots taken during openings.

All this material served as the basis for a workshop developed with the partner schools of the project: Liceo Artistico Caravaggio in Milan, Primo Liceo Artistico in Turin, and Liceo Artistico Bruno Munari in Cremona. After an introduction, students were asked to deconstruct and recompose the “mother map” based on their knowledge and, above all, their desires.

What emerged is a true atlas, both real and hypothetical, of the social history of art, as well as a sometimes naïve, sometimes disarming mapping of the hypothetical exercise of a cultural institution. By extension, Cattedrale (the title is taken from Carver’s story of the same name in which a blind man describes a cathedral) reveals to the students an institutional framework poorly open to emotions, pursuing democratically nebulous goals, incapable of realizing its dreams.

After its first stage at Crac Cremona, Cattedrale now unfolds in its entirety at Careof, presenting the entire path that originated the project (research material, maps developed during workshops, texts) and opening a window onto an upcoming screen-printed publication that will contain a synthesis of the maps created by the students, curated by Cosimo Veneziano. Limited edition publications will be donated to the participating schools.

The workshop with the Milanese schools is accompanied by a public moment of reflection featuring educators Dino Ferruzzi (Liceo Artistico Bruno Munari, Cremona), Pasquale Campanella and Cinzia Piglione (Liceo Caravaggio, Milan) discussing issues related to education.

Thanks to Chiara Agnello, Pasquale Campanella, Cinzia Piglione, class IV E of Liceo Artistico Caravaggio, Dino Ferruzzi, Gianna Paola Machiavelli, class VI B of Liceo Artistico Bruno Munari in Cremona, Claudio Donzelli, class IV E of Primo Liceo Artistico, Francesca Referza.

Contributions Tables: IV - V - VI
Liceo Artistico Caravaggio, Milan.
Teachers: Pasquale Campanella, Cinzia Piglione.
Class IV E: Jessica Abd El Shaid, Francesca Barzanò, Andrea Berselli, Tiziana Bindetti, Filippo Gabello, Elena Gentile, Jacopo Giannitrapani, Giulia Di Pasquale, Andrea Grassi, Elena Grassi, Traiana Larionesi, Laura Magale, Manola Margini, Mirko Vigilante, Caterina Pitea, Valentina Santinoli, Sofia Silvestri, Lucia Solenghi, Tinea Larionesi, Zhao Xinyi.

Tables: VII - VIII - IX
Primo Liceo Artistico, Turin.
Teachers: Claudio Donzelli.
Class IV E: Claudia Allamano, Daria Asde, Bartolomeo Audisio, Enrica Basticco, Giada Batistello, Francesco Benatella, Eleonora Carello, Enga Casorsa, Fabio Esposito, Rossella Ferrero, Andrea Gertosio, Gisella Maremz, Camilla Merletti, Morumau Currà, Anita Petrillo, Giorgio Pettiti, Giulia Polchiri, Antonella Selvaggi Albanese, Alice Vipiana.

Tables: X - XI - XII
Liceo Artistico Bruno Munari, Cremona
Teachers: Dino Ferruzzi, Gianna Paola Machiavelli.
Class IV B: Arianna Artoni, Alice Belli, Tobia Bonardi, Giulia D'Amato, Preet Kaur Kiran, Rossano Mazzolini, Laura Oliveti, Emily Pederzani, Mattia Pollenghi, Giorgia Zurlini.