The Cool Couple • The Cute and The Useful • Triennale
12.11.2024, h 18.30
Sala Agorà, Triennale Milano
Screening and conversation with: Niccolò Benetton, Simone Santilli, Vincenzo Estremo, Nicolò Porcelluzzi
Moderators: Arnold Braho e Marta Cereda
Triennale Milano presents “The Cute and the Useful”, a medium-length film by The Cool Couple produced by Careof, in a special event held in conjunction with the exhibition “Territorial Machines: Extracting Nature” at MAAB Gallery, curated by Arnold Braho: an exploration of the dialectic between aesthetics and functionality applied to the representation of wildlife and nature.
“The Cute and the Useful” takes its title from an expression used to identify animal species that are likely to survive the current mass extinction due to their emotional or economic connection with humans. This is a key theme for The Cool Couple (Niccolò Benetton and Simone Santilli): through this project, which includes a video work and a publication published by NERO, the artists delve into the ambiguous relationship between nature and the market and the impact of commodification on our perception of the wild environment.
The film explores the contradictions of the conservation industry in South Africa: a neoliberal system that transforms species such as lions, elephants, and rhinos into luxury goods, staging a version of “nature” increasingly distant from its original concept, reconstructing an idea of the natural environment shaped by economic purposes. “The Cute and the Useful” is an ironic yet powerful reflection on how the concept of utility shapes the perception of the natural world, turning the wild into part of a new aesthetic and value system oriented toward consumption.
The research by The Cool Couple thus investigates the idea of “territorial machines” – socio-economic structures that codify and privatize organic and animal life, while simultaneously shaping the collective imagination.
The screening is followed by a conversation with the artists, in dialogue with Vincenzo Estremo and Nicolò Porcelluzzi, encouraging the public to reflect on the role of conservation and the imagery it produces.
Biographies
The Cool Couple is an artist duo based in Milan, founded at the end of 2012 by Niccolò Benetton (1986) and Simone Santilli (1987). Their multidisciplinary research focuses on friction points within the processes of image production, sharing, and consumption. Their work has been exhibited in institutions such as: CCC la Strozzina (Florence), Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa (Venice), Les Rencontres d’Arles, Museo MACRO (Rome), Museo del ‘900 (Milan), MAMBO (Bologna), MUFOCO (Cinisello Balsamo), Galleria Civica di Trento, City Gallery Wellington (NZ). They have received several awards including Premio Francesco Fabbri per la Fotografia Contemporanea (2014), Premio Graziadei (2015), Premio ArtVerona Under 40 per la Fotografia (2017), Premio Euromobil Under 30 (2017), Premio Johannesburg (2019). In 2020, The Cool Couple was among the winners of the eighth edition of Italian Council, an award that adds to ArteVisione, promoted by Careof and Sky Arte, and to the ACollection prize by Artefiera. The Cool Couple are lecturers at NABA, IED and lead the BA course in Visual Arts at Made Program.
Arnold Braho is an independent curator and contributor for Flash Art, L’Essenziale Studio, and Artribune. He is co-founder of the curatorial platform Sa.turn of the Provinciale11 collective. Among his recent exhibitions: The Cool Couple. Territorial Machines: Extracting Nature (Maab Gallery, 2024), Farewell to the Stage (Artopia, 2024), Theater of Dis-Operations (ArtNoble Gallery, 2024), Não contes à mãe. Delio Jasse (Zet Gallery, 2023). He has participated as assistant curator in several international projects collaborating with various institutions such as Center for Italian Modern Art (NYC), 17ª Istanbul Biennale, Villa Arson (Nice, FR), FM Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea (MI), MAXXI Roma. He is assistant curator for Disobedience Archive by Marco Scotini, invited to the 60th edition of the International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.
Marta Cereda is an independent curator and co-director of Careof. Among her recent projects: Cecilia Mentasti, A Place to Stay (Careof, 2024 / Corraini Edizioni, 2024); La prima volta (Casa Testori, 2024); Comete (in collaboration with miart, Anteo Palazzo del Cinema, 2024); Studio Careof (Cinema Godard, Fondazione Prada, 2023); Tungsteno. Memorie e falsi ricordi dall’Archivio Video (Careof, 2023).
Vincenzo Estremo holds an international Ph.D. in media, cinema, and communication studies from the University of Udine and the Kunstuniversität Linz. He currently serves as PhD Course Leader at NABA (Milan and Rome) for the PhD in Artistic Practice in collaboration with the University of Gothenburg. A theorist of the moving image, he writes regularly for Flash Art Italia and International, Che fare? and il Foglio. His publications include: Extended Temporalities. Transient Visions in Museum and Art (Mimesis International 2016), Albert Serra, cinema, arte e performance (Mimesis Edizioni 2018), Teoria del lavoro reputazionale (Milieu Edizioni 2020), Indistinzione (PS editore 2023), Variante digitale (postmedia books 2024), and Cronofagia e Media (Meltemi 2024).
Nicolò Porcelluzzi is editor at Il Tascabile, and has written for Internazionale and other magazines. He is the author of podcasts for Storytel and Chora Media. With Matteo De Giuli, he co-authored MEDUSA. Storie dalla fine del mondo (per come lo conosciamo) (Not - NERO Editions, 2021). For Einaudi he published Fare i versi. Poesia, infanzia, apocalisse (2022).
Credits
The Cute and the Useful
Directed by The Cool Couple
Italy, South Africa, 2021
Short Film – Single Channel – 4K Video 1:2.35 – English – Dolby 5.1 Audio – 17’43’’
The project, born out of an artist residency at Nirox Foundation in South Africa and winner of ArteVisione 2019, was produced by Careof with the support of Italian Council (8th edition, 2020).