Cesare Pietroiusti at Summer School as School 2019
6 August, 2019, 20:00
Venue: Boxing Club
Summer School as School
5 - 21 August, 2019
Stacion – Center for Contemporary Art Prishtina is pleased to announce “Paradoxycal forms of Economy” by Cesare Pietroiusti, part of Summer School as School 2019 Public Program.
Cesare Pietroiusti's art practice focuses on problematic and paradoxical situations that are hidden in common relationships and in ordinary acts - thoughts that come to mind without a reason, small worries, quasi-obsessions that are usually considered too insignificant to become a matter of discussion, or of self-representation.
In 1994 Pietroiusti was available to do 'useful' things for anyone of the audience who would make a request: he walked dogs, gave shots, cleaned out cellars, and more. In 1997 he published Non Functional Thoughts (ed. Morra, Napoli), a small book containing approximately one hundred useless, parasite or incongruous ideas to be realised as
art projects by anyone. Some of these ideas have been executed by artists and curators, such as for the exhibition "Democracy!" (London, 2000).
In the last few years Pietroiusti mostly concentrated on the topic of the exchange, and on the paradoxes that arise in the folds of economic systems and rules. Starting from 2004 he irreversibly transformed banknotes given to him by other people; distributed thousands of drawings (always unique pieces, individually numbered and signed) for
free; sold stories; swallowed banknotes at the end of an auction and subsequently given them back to the successful bidder after their defecation; opened a shop where the goods for sale are banknotes and the currency used to purchase them is the customer's gaze; set up shows where the artworks are for sale not in exchange of money, but of the best visitors’ ideas, comments, or proposals.
Cesare Pietroiusti is an artist living in Rome, principally concerned with problematic and paradoxical situations that are hidden in common relationships and ordinary acts. In particular, through performative actions his practice explores the relations between the logics of economy, exchange and art’s perceived worth. Trained as a medical doctor, Pietroiusti studied Psychiatry in the late 1970s.
His artist’s book Pensieri non-funzionali (1997) - Non Functional Thoughts (2000) documents many of his projects, both realized and un-realized (www.nonfunctionalthoughts.net). Either singularly or as a member of collectives, Pietroiusti participated in group and solo exhibitions since 1977, including “Exhibit A” (Serpentine Gallery, London, 1992); “NowHere” (Louisiana Museum, Humlebæk, 1996); Venice Biennale (1990, 1999, 2003); Tirana Biennale (2005), Performa 07, New York (2007) and the Athens Biennale (2009). Solo projects were held at Jartrakor, Rome (1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985), Studio Casoli, Milano (1987), Galleria Alice, Rome (1989); Galleria Primo Piano, Rome (1994); Ikon Gallery, Birmingham (2007); MaMbo, Bologna (2008, with Stefano Arienti); Galleria Franco Soffiantino, Torino (2009); and Wilkinson Gallery, London (2009). Pietroiusti has been a professor of studio practice at the University of Venice (IUAV) from 2004 to 2015 and MFA faculty professor at The Art Institute of Boston (2009-2016), as well as curator at the Fondazione Ratti residency program in Como (2007-2011).
Co-founder of many artist-run projects including the experimental space Jartrakor in Rome (1977-1985), Gruppo di Piombino (1986-1992), Giochi del Senso e/o Nonsenso (1996), Oreste (1997-2001), Nomads and Residents in New York (2000-2001) ,Trastevere 259 (2006-2011), and Museo dell’Arte Italiana in Esilio (2010-2011), Lu Cafausu (2007-ongoing), Pietroiusti is one of the founders of Fondazione Lac o Le Mon (2015-ongoing), an old house in southern Italy that has become a space for artistic research and experimental and interdisciplinary pedagogy.
Cesare Pietroiusti is an artist living in Rome, principally concerned with problematic and paradoxical situations that are hidden in common relationships and ordinary acts. In particular, through performative actions his practice explores the relations between the logics of economy, exchange and art’s perceived worth. Trained as a medical doctor, Pietroiusti studied Psychiatry in the late 1970s.
His artist’s book Pensieri non-funzionali (1997) - Non Functional Thoughts (2000) documents many of his projects, both realized and un-realized (www.nonfunctionalthoughts.net). Either singularly or as a member of collectives, Pietroiusti participated in group and solo exhibitions since 1977, including “Exhibit A” (Serpentine Gallery, London, 1992); “NowHere” (Louisiana Museum, Humlebæk, 1996); Venice Biennale (1990, 1999, 2003); Tirana Biennale (2005), Performa 07, New York (2007) and the Athens Biennale (2009). Solo projects were held at Jartrakor, Rome (1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985), Studio Casoli, Milano (1987), Galleria Alice, Rome (1989); Galleria Primo Piano, Rome (1994); Ikon Gallery, Birmingham (2007); MaMbo, Bologna (2008, with Stefano Arienti); Galleria Franco Soffiantino, Torino (2009); and Wilkinson Gallery, London (2009). Pietroiusti has been a professor of studio practice at the University of Venice (IUAV) from 2004 to 2015 and MFA faculty professor at The Art Institute of Boston (2009-2016), as well as curator at the Fondazione Ratti residency program in Como (2007-2011).
Co-founder of many artist-run projects including the experimental space Jartrakor in Rome (1977-1985), Gruppo di Piombino (1986-1992), Giochi del Senso e/o Nonsenso (1996), Oreste (1997-2001), Nomads and Residents in New York (2000-2001) ,Trastevere 259 (2006-2011), and Museo dell’Arte Italiana in Esilio (2010-2011), Lu Cafausu (2007-ongoing), Pietroiusti is one of the founders of Fondazione Lac o Le Mon (2015-ongoing), an old house in southern Italy that has become a space for artistic research and experimental and interdisciplinary pedagogy.