IThe collection
“Dimmi amore”—in English, “tell me, my love”—is a phrase used often in Italy. Often, I am overwhelmed by this phrase, brought almost to tears by the simplicity and beauty of an invitation to speak.
Works on Paper
(coming soon) – A series of letterpress posters repeat the phrase “Dimmi, amore” in many different fonts, an echoing encouragement to enunciation. The posters are produced by the Veneto-based letterpress atelier Tipoteca will print posters on local paper manufactuer Favini’s Crush paper. This paper uses the residues of citrus fruits, coconut, cocoa, grapes, cherries, lavender, corn, olives, coffee, kiwi, hazelnuts and almonds are the natural raw materials which, saved from the landfill, are used for the production of these exclusive papers from the unusual tactile aspect. These posters will be available from Negozio. In addition, a video work of the letterpress machine and woodcut fonts can be viewed.
Available as a limited edition, these works are also presented in an installation with two unusually high aluminum chairs, angled inward as though left behind by two people in conversation. Ripped up posters and the awkward height of the chairs suggest the precarity of not being heard. Nonetheless, the open seats hint at the possibility that these traumas can be repaired with time and dialogue.
A performance work entitled ‘Asking to be Heard’ is approximately 5 minutes of me ripping, bending, crumpling and distorting papers that have the phrase ‘Dimmi Amore’. These are papers that I have printed and designed. It explains the desire of wanting to be heard, the attempts of wanting to be heard, but being denied. Once I am finished and leave the room, the viewer is able to pick up the crumpled, bent and distorted paper and take it home – or if they choose, they can try to mend it by using tape provided.
Color-Coded Posters and Clothing
During the rise of fascism from 1919 to 1943, Benito Mussolini’s armed forces came to be known as Blackshirts, so-called for the black shirts worn as part of their uniform. Like the propaganda that littered Italian streets, the black shirt was an easy identifier that separated fascist soldiers from citizens and other armed forces.
Learning about this dark history, I have often wondered what propaganda for the cause of good would look like. The printed manifesto, posters and clothing in this series follow this concept, pairing a message or cause with a type of apparel. For example, “How to wake from the nightmare?” with a pajama-like shirt, intended to wear day or night.
Foraged Ink Posters (coming soon)
All of the posters in this collection will be available in 109 languages—all of those available on Google Translate—and will be produced by artisan workshops local to Nove, Italy with natural inks made from fruits, vegetables, and foraged material.
Phrase: How to wake from the nightmare?
Color: natural black ink on handmade paper
Clothing = pyjamas
Phrase: How to clean the oceans?
Color: natural blue ink on handmade paper
Clothing = linen shirt
Phrase: How to replant the earth?
Color: green ink on handmade paper
Clothing = short sleeve shirt
Phrase: How to stop pollution?
Color: natural orange ink on handmade paper
Clothing = natural denim work jacket
Manifesto
Dimmi, amore. . . Tell me, my love. . .
- Tell me that everyone will strive to be their truest self, while also knowing that they can continue to grow into the person they wish to become. We will learn to see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.
- Tell me that we will hear each other out, whether we agree or disagree. We will try to understand each other’s behavior and actions—even if we find them frustrating. We will let go of anger and hate. We will not force our opinions on others or try to prove that we are right. We will understand that we all live in different realities, even though we share the same earth. There will be no more war. We will earn each other’s trust.
- Tell me that everyone will be treated equally, no matter their gender, sexuality, or race. We will support each other as we work through past traumas.
- Tell me that there will be no gossip or attempts to shape the lives of others. We will treat others as we wish to be treated. We will strengthen our own minds and share knowledge, rather than turning to gossip as the only form of sociality.
- Tell me that we will strive to help another person every day. We will reach out a hand to those on the margins. We will listen to the elderly and the young. We will understand that every person has a story.
- Tell me that, collectively, we will have the power to change the world for the better. There will be no more centralized control, only communities collaborating.
- Tell me that we will follow the ideas that excite us and embark upon career paths that we love. We will reclaim the word “work,” which will no longer signify a burden or labor, but something that we are excited to do. The factory will be a thing of the past. We will understand that not following our passions can be dangerous.
- Tell me about a world in which parents understand how their actions shape their child’s life. Tell me that, in the most formative years, they take care of their little ones, hold them close, let them know they are surrounded by love. Tell me that those parents apologize to their children when they make mistakes, that they recognize their fallibility and let their child know that errors are opportunities for growth.
- Tell me that we can expand the concept of family beyond the bonds of blood. How can a community enter the life of and help raise a child?
- Tell me that it will be mandatory for every abandoned lot be given back to the community it existed in so that communities can grow their own vegetable gardens and, in doing so, will understand the labor that feeds our society. Tell me that every rooftop would be a sanctuary for birds. Tell me that every structure we build will become part of a thriving ecosystem.
- Tell me that we will learn together about where food comes from, how it affects our bodies and the earth. Tell me how the different plants take from and give to the soil. Tell me how the animals grow, how they nurture their young, and how their death helps us to provide for ours. Fruits and vegetables come from the earth. Meat comes from bodies. No more disconnect between the farming of animals and plants and the food we see on our plates. No more processed food. We will eat seasonally and locally. We will use as much of the animal or vegetable as we can.
- Tell me that there will no longer be any waste. All homes will be furnished with reusable containers and natural products. Stores will all be package free and will no longer offer plastic bags. All neighborhoods will compost. We will build a circular economy.
- Tell me that everyone will have access to clean and safe drinking water.
- Tell me that medicine will embrace science, ancient wisdom, and natural remedies. We will protect our bodies from the damaging side effects of pharmaceutical drugs.
- Tell me that we will meditate together and recognize the power of consciousness. We will practice kindness, unity, and peace with each other and ourselves. We will see the interconnection of all things. We will understand that we have everything we need. We will have faith in the universe and accept its gifts and challenges. We will know that reality is more than what we see, hear, and touch.
- Tell me that there will be no lack. There will be no pain. We will not fear. We will be safe.
- Tell me that we will love living in this world, that we will wake into each day with gratitude. We will not dream of a future life in a future world, but rather will reinvest in preserving the earth that gave shape to us.
- Tell me that everyday life will be infused with art and poetry. Art will be accessible to all because it will be everywhere.
A stack of manifestos, or large single posters can be purchased from Negozio in any of the 109 languages provided by Google translate.
IIIImages
