Where the words start — Lawrence Weiner

an exhibition curated by Recontemporary
in collaboration with Galleria Giorgio Persano

setup curated by Andrea Isola, in collaboration with Francesca Nieddu, Simone Sensi, Rebecca Stella, Laura Mazzarino, Ya Liu, Erika Coco, Martina Servetti, Eleonora Soardo, Francesca Camillo, Chiara Manca, Barbara Visioli and Laura Frigau.

Recontemporary, on the occasion of its fifth year, presents the exhibition Where The Words Start by Lawrence Weiner in collaboration with Galleria Giorgio Persano. The exhibition itinerary begins in Via Gaudenzio Ferrari 12/b, and expands across the territory with the aim of further affirming its presence in the city, specifically in Via Nizza, in the arcades dedicated to the Spazio Portici – Videoarte project by Fondazione Contrada, with the exhibition Where The Words End, curated by Roberto Mastroianni and Iole Pellion di Persano. With Where The Words Start, Recontemporary draws attention to the video work of Lawrence Weiner which, as the title suggests, starts from a reflection on language. The artist, particularly known for his works linked to the text, as the main and fundamental means of expression to communicate with others, has in reality expanded his conceptual research also through video and images. Weiner’s videos are not traditional cinematographic or narrative works, but real extensions of his conceptual investigation: they capture everyday actions or banal objects, emphasizing their meaning through an unusual editing and visual presentation. A succession of images, words, impressions, texts and graphics that push the audience to question the essence of the meaning of language beyond the visual aspect.

And so Weiner has produced a body of video works that extends the concepts discussed by conceptual art, underlining how even within a communicative code there are hidden complex communication and meanings that are functional to bring attention to the idea and the concept rather than to traditional visual aesthetics. Through his texts, his images and his videos Lawrence Weiner has left a lasting impact on contemporary art, encouraging a broader and more conceptual vision of art itself.

The exhibition setup is specifically designed for the Recontemporary spaces through an Exhibit Design workshop, also designed by Rec, held by Andrea Isola.

The connected exhibition itinerary, WHERE THE WORDS END, collects a selection of videos where Lawrence Weiner opens a dialogue with more contemporary artists, such as Maria Loboda, Allora & Calzadilla, Erick Beltran, Lina Fucà, Donna Conlon, Pascal Dombis and Elodie Pong. The different projections explore the theme of language, in its most physical part, writing. How much a word can be ephemeral and how much it can leave a mark. Descriptions, help, suggestions, teachings, warnings, censorship, how much and how the word is capable of giving and taking away from our daily life. The choice arises from the desire to attract the attention of passers-by through a multifaceted language, letters and words written almost like advertising messages invite the viewer to ask themselves about the meaning of communication in society.

Lawrence Weiner’s importance for conceptual art has been central to the developments of Italian and international art in the 60s and 70s, consequently, the choice to dedicate a video retrospective to him would allow us to investigate a series of unpublished and little-known works by the general public. This objective is functional to pursuing the study, deepening and dissemination of video art, making this project central to the Recontemporary program. At the same time, the initiative intends to be transversal, through the direct involvement of other entities and realities present in the city of Turin and wishes to develop educational and dissemination activities open to citizens for the entire duration of the project.