Stefano Cagol, Harajuku Influences
Charta Ed., Milan/New York, April 2007
Texts by Stefan Bidner, Angelique Campens,
David Elliott, Andrea Lissoni, Roberto Pinto
128 Pages, 158 Images
English, Japanese, Italian
ISBN 88-8158-618-5
Book Launch at artbrussels:
Stefano Cagol and Angelique Campens in conversation
+ video screening
April 23, 2007, 4 pm
Brussels Expo, Conference Room, Hall 11
www.artbrussels.be/debates.htm
Angelique Campens talks with Stefano Cagol about his last publication for which she wrote the text “Manipulated Environment”. Other contributions are by Stefan Bidner, David Elliott, Andrea Lissoni and Roberto Pinto.
The book records Stefano Cagols last year projects: his search based on contemporary influences, physical and mental, positive and negative influences. The artist has been developing his in-depth study on the muted barycenters of contemporary society in fact by offering a never univocal point of view. The same points of influence are nowadays infinite, we are continuously influenced, easily influenced, as a mass, not as single beings, by fashion, politics, religion, sex, oil, reality-TV-shows…
This Cagols research started with his trip through Europe into the mental and physical influences that were collected into the Bird Flu / Vogelgrippe installation/action in Auguststrasse in Berlin for the 4th. Berlin Biennale. His invitation to ZOO logical garden curated by Angelique Campens, a project/exhibition into the Harry Malter zoological park in Ghent (together with Johan Grimonprez, Superflex, David Shirgley, Anri Sala, and others) followed. Thereafter, in a locked sequence, his Power Station public art satellite project at Singapore Biennale 06, where Cagol was the only Italian presence. Then, his work in progress Harajuku Influences in Tokyo in September 2006, a collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute and the natural sequel of his previous permanence in Tokyo in 2004. Tokyo is in fact the metropolis par excellence suspended at the extreme among contradictions, past and future, East and West, and Harajuku is the name of a symbolic quarter in Tokyo.
All the afore-mentioned projects by Stefano Cagol will be presented with a video screening upon the occasion of his book launch.
Until April 25 in Tokyo: Stefano Cagols artworks are on view in the solo exhibition The flu ID at NADiff New Art Diffusion, where the book was presented at the opening with a conversation between Yuka Uematsu, chief curator, MIMOCA Marugame Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art in Kagawa, Japan and the artist. This exhibition is also part of the Primavera Italiana festival in Tokyo, as only contemporary art event.
The book launch is part of the artbrussels program www.artbrussels.be/debates.htm
The presentation is made in collaboration with Vzw Beeldend (Platform voor Actuele Kunst), a Flemish non-profit organization for contemporary art www.beeldend.be
The previous presentation of the book took place at NADiff New Art Diffusion, Tokyo in occasion of Stefano Cagols solo exhibition www.nadiff.com
The web site of the artist www.stefanocagol.com
For further information, please, contact angeliquecampens@telenet.be
