Daniele Pario Perra
ANARCH-ETIQUETTE
the etiquette of anarchy: preserving the writing on the wall
The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (MCA Denver) and PlatteForum together with the Anthropology Department at the University of Denver are proud to announce the first American exhibition of Daniele Pario Perra. The exhibit compares and contrasts wall writings of spontaneous communication in the Denver metro area and also includes several examples from his previous work in Europe. This exhibition represents the second annual Confluence Project, a shared artist-in-residence program between MCA Denver and PlatteForum.
The exhibition title, ANARCH-ETIQUETTE is inspired by a series of action/public workshops demonstrating the removal and preservation of wall writings on public buildings before they are covered up or the buildings themselves are demolished or renovated. These writings are removed by the technique of fresco removal and then are transferred onto large canvas panels. The canvases become a means of preserving the contemporary thoughts and feelings expressed by the members of the community through wall writing. Since 2006, Pario Perra has been conducting ANARCH-ETIQUETTE and Fresco Removal workshops to preserve traces of spontaneous communication on city walls throughout Europe.
ANARCH-ETIQUETTE removes and preserves writings connected to the ideas of political parties and their inclinations, critical consumption, cultural and musical movements, among others. The project focuses on fields within the last few decades, which delineate the culture belonging to that specific place. Writings such as, ‘god shave the queen’, ‘mi casa no es tu casa,’ ‘light camera war,’ ‘TV is tanning you,’ and ‘un voile, une voix, un vote’ are examples of messages connected to the local issues in a specific community.
ANARCH-ETIQUETTE is not about the uniqueness of a single text on a wall but the collection of various writings, which reveal an understanding of the DNA of the city or area itself. It is a way to study the cultural behaviors in the city, collecting informal communications that reveal the differences between an unconscious visualization of single view and the perception of a global reality, which we identify in the concept of identity. This dialogue can be seen as a sign of future thoughts and opinions, showing how the place will evolve according to the expressed needs of that society.
The project gives PlatteForum’s ArtLab and MCA Denver’s TeCo teens and the students from the Anthropology Department of the University of Denver the opportunity to do urban anthropological fieldwork. They also engage in round table discussions about what they would like to conserve from their culture or not. The students learn the process of removal and preservation becoming guardians of the memories of the city; this allows the participants to conserve testimonies of an intangible heritage that would otherwise be eliminated.
About ArtLab
The ArtLab program provides an integrated, substantive out-of-school arts opportunity for at-risk youth in our community. It is a yearlong intensive youth development and training program, utilizing the arts, mentorship and learning to reach underserved Denver area youth aged 14–19 years.
About TeCo
Teen Council (TeCo) is a selected group of energetic and creative high school students that intern at the MCA Denver to create programming and events for teens. TeCos also interact with leading artists in a collaborative environment, creating work and gaining unparalleled insight about art.
Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
Fox Family Idea Box
1485 Delgany St.
Denver, Colorado USA
May 6–July 24, 2011
Tuesday–Sunday 10 am–6 pm
Friday until 10 pm
www.mcadenver.org
erinr [at] mcadenver.org
press [at] anarchetiquette.org
University of Denver Museum of Anthropology
2000 E. Asbury, Room 146
Denver, Colorado USA
Opening: Monday, August 1, 2011
August 1–October 1, 2011
Monday–Friday 9am–4pm
www.du.edu/anthro/museum.htm
christina.kreps [at] du.edu
