Photo © Francesca Cirilli
City - NOMINEE: Francesca Cirilli
As a fallen apartment building
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In the middle of Berlin, as the wall felt down, many empty buildings and wastelands along its former path were squatted. People with trucks and trailers arrived to settle down and live, eventually quite permanently, in their mobile homes. They set the space arranging it and its flexible structure to the changing needs of the inhabitants.
Relating with urban and natural, experimenting with political and social aspects, they oppose to gentrification processes involving Kreuzberg neighborhood.
The community living in these informal settlements (called wagenplatz in German) claim the possibility and the will to live in public space, questioning the issue of inhabiting as usually considered.
A community such as a “fallen apartment building”, as someone taking part in the projects said: fallen and transformed. Sort of islands between generic buildings. | | |
The first time I came across a Wagenplatz, in Kreuzberg, it appeared to me as something quite surreal in the middle of the city: it was emerging in front of my eyes from between trees and plants, as a strange garden with strange architectures. Then, I got inside and little by little I got to know the place, the people living there, and the reasons of their choice.
"Because of freedom /
at a point I realized I could live with less /
because of the possibility to have a self-determined living space /
'cause like that I can work less and have more time for my life /
because they invited me to live here /
to question the standardized ways of living /
just because I like it /
because I could stand anymore living in a flat /
because I could build my own house /
because it's cheap /
because it's like a big family /
because I can also have my personal space /
because I can move my truck wherever and whenever I want /
because I have been living here since twenty years /
because I love living in nature /
because I love living in the city /
because I can't go and live in the country, working in the city /
because no one asked me to exchange this with a house on the seaside /
because I can even have a garden /
it was a pragmatic choice /
it just happened /
when I was a punk we squatted this empty and dead land /
to not feel like living in a cage /
because this is also a cultural project /
for leading a more sustainable way of living /
I came as a guest and then I stayed /
because I love meeting new people who are always passing by /
because we can organize the space according to our needs /
for the ecological shape of this place /
to contrast the idea that commercial interests can determine how urban space is used /
to shape and negotiate the surronding in which we live /
because this is a public space open to everybody /
because this is our home and our utopia /
'cause Utopia is far and this is only a step forward". | | |
Most of these pictures were taken in November 2012 in Wagenplatz Lohmühle, during an artist's residency in GlogauAIR Berlin.
About author:
Francesca Cirilli (Viareggio, Italy, 1982) held a BA in Photography at IED-Torino and graduated in Contemporary History at Pisa University.
She actually lives in Turin, where she joins her personal researches with the professional activity as freelance photographer for cultural and artistic institutions, documentary and architecture photography.
Since January 2016 she is co-curator of JEST– space for photographic culture, a project promoting exhibitions, education and events around contemporary photography.
(jestfotografia.net).
She teaches photography in various schools and works as cinematographer for documentary and feature films.
Her researches focus on the observation and analysis of how social, economical and environmental mechanisms and processes develop and take form in places, throug history and stories: she mainly concentrates her attention on the organization and use of spaces and the relations and forces that are established in them. The issue of inhabiting and the relation between people and places are recurring themes in her work.
RESIDENCIES
ABITARE, curated by Mufoco–Contemporary Photography Museum, La Triennale, Ministry of Culture
Dintorno, Passi erratici, curated by S. Riba, Paralup, 2017
Residenza Alpina, curated by Arteco, Alta Valle Cervo, 2015
Fotografia nel Parco dell'Appennino Tosco Emiliano, curated by A. Botto, D. De Luigi, 2015
Identity of metropolitan Turin, curated by O. Gambari, for Torino Internazionale, 2014
1,2,3, click!, research project on school architecture, curated by Arteco and Fondazione Agnelli, 2014
GlogauAir - Artist in Residence Program, Berlin, 2012
Sin_Tesis lab #03, photographic campaign with photographer Simon Roberts, SiFest, 2012
Open Your Mountains Artists in residence – Mountain Photo Festival, Courmayeur, 2008
EXHIBITIONS
2018
ABITANTI. Seven glances on today Italy, curated by M. Balduzzi, Mufoco–Contemporary Photography Museum, La Triennale, Milan (IT)
CURA, Camera Italian Center for Photography, Turin (IT)
CURA, Piedmont Region Palace, Turin (IT)
999 questions on inhabiting, curated by S. Mirti, La Triennale, Milan (IT)
2017
Athens Photo Festival 17, The Photobook Exhibition, Athens (GR)
Stress the Archive!, dialogue with Francesco Zanot, Camera, Turin (IT)
Fahrenheit39 Art Book Fair, Ravenna (IT)
2016
Francesco Fabbri award, Palazzo Brandolini, Pieve di Soligo (IT)
Urban Fossils, Science Festival, Natural History Museum, Genova (IT)
Residenza Alpina, curated by Arteco, Valle Cervo (IT)
Urban Fossils, Natural History Museum, Trieste (IT)
2015
Slideluck Micro Galleries (slideshow), Nowra, Australia (AUS)
PhotoLux festival, talk Fotografia nel Parco dell'Appennino, Lucca (IT)
Urban Fossils, MuSe – Sciences museum, Trento (IT)
The Others Fair, former prison Le Nuove, Turin (IT)
Autofocus 7, curated by O.Gambari, Baricole, Torino (IT)
Coste e fiumi: paesaggi in mutazione, Architecture House, Roma (IT)
2014
Slideluck Bologna, curated by Renata Ferri (projection) / Spazio Labò, Bologna (IT)
Si Fest 2014 - Atlante.it (with Habitat Project) / Savignano sul Rubicone (IT)
Circulation(s), festival de la jeune photographie européenne, Giovane Fotografia Italiana#2 / Centquatre, Paris (FR)
Frames (projection) / Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow, Scotland (UK)
Centre-Periphery, International award for young artists, Museo Nazionale Terme di Diocleziano, Roma (IT)
1,2,3, click!, curated by Arteco, Turin (IT)
Territoires en images / Institut de Géographie, Paris (FR)
2013
As a fallen apartment building (solo show) / Bild studio, Torino (IT)
Approdo al Futuro, curated by F. Baboni, S. Taddei / Palazzo Orlando, Livorno (IT)
Francesca Cirilli_As a fallen apartment building || Laura Fiorio_In the jungle of cities (double solo show) / Dom kulture gallery, Kamnik, Lubiana, Slovenia (SI)
Mediterranea16 - Biennal of Mediterranean (projection) / Mole Vanvitelliana, Ancona (IT)
Le rovine esposte, curated by E. Biffi Gentili / OGR, Torino (IT)
Fotografia Europea, Young Italian Photography#2, curated by D.De Luigi /Officina delle Arti, Reggio Emilia (IT)
2012
Open studios / GlogauAIR, Berlin (DE)
L'architettura del Mondo, curated by A. Ferlenga / Triennale, Milan (IT)
Combat Prize / Museo Fattori, Livorno (IT)
2011
SI FEST 2011, Paesaggi instabili, curated by S.Rossl, M.Sordi / Savignano sul Rubicone (IT)
Artecittà, art and urban transformation / Pistoletto Foundation, Biella (IT)
Dove finisce la città, Festival Architettura in città / palazzo Bertalazzone, Turin (IT)
Turin-Earth. Città e nuove migrazioni / Museo della Resistenza, Turin (IT)
Con.fondere, VI Young Artists Biennale / SMS - Center for Contemporary Art, Pisa (IT)
2010
Internazionale d’Arte LGBT / AV Art Galerie, Turin (IT)
Artist in residence 2008-09, Mountain Photo Festival / Cittadella dei Giovani, Aosta (IT)
2009
Open your mountains - Montagna e desertificazione / Porta Pretoria, Aosta (IT)
Vista e Suono / Cherasco (IT)
2008
Francesca Cirilli and Fatma Bucak (double solo show) / Italian Cultural Institute, Warsaw, Poland (PL)
Young Italian Photography / Media Art Gallery, Warsaw, Poland (PL)
RFC /Rapallo Fotografia Contemporanea, curated by A.Botto / Antico Castello, Rapallo (IT)
Paratissima IV / Turin (IT)
AWARDS AND PRIZES
ABITARE, promoted by Mufoco–Contemporary Photography Museum Milano-Cinisello Balsamo, Italian Ministry of Culture, Triennale di Milano – Winner
Marco Pesaresi award 2017 – Shortlisted
Francesco Fabbri award 2016 – Shortilisted
Photogrvphy grant 2016 – Nominee
Autofocus7 award – Special mention
Centre-Periphery, international award for young artists, Federculture, 2014 – Finalist
Stupinigi Fertile, 2014 – second prize
Accademia Apulia UK-Photography Award, 2013 – Shortlisted
Combat Prize - Special prize Under 35, Livorno, 2012 – Winner
Situa.to, Regione Piemonte, 2010 – Research grant
National Geographic-International competition, 2010 – Shortlisted
Italian Wave–Artissima, 2008 – Shortlisted
Young Photoghraphy, IV° Wasaw Artistic Photography Festival, 2008 – Special Mention
Relating with urban and natural, experimenting with political and social aspects, they oppose to gentrification processes involving Kreuzberg neighborhood.
The community living in these informal settlements (called wagenplatz in German) claim the possibility and the will to live in public space, questioning the issue of inhabiting as usually considered.
A community such as a “fallen apartment building”, as someone taking part in the projects said: fallen and transformed. Sort of islands between generic buildings. | | |
The first time I came across a Wagenplatz, in Kreuzberg, it appeared to me as something quite surreal in the middle of the city: it was emerging in front of my eyes from between trees and plants, as a strange garden with strange architectures. Then, I got inside and little by little I got to know the place, the people living there, and the reasons of their choice.
"Because of freedom /
at a point I realized I could live with less /
because of the possibility to have a self-determined living space /
'cause like that I can work less and have more time for my life /
because they invited me to live here /
to question the standardized ways of living /
just because I like it /
because I could stand anymore living in a flat /
because I could build my own house /
because it's cheap /
because it's like a big family /
because I can also have my personal space /
because I can move my truck wherever and whenever I want /
because I have been living here since twenty years /
because I love living in nature /
because I love living in the city /
because I can't go and live in the country, working in the city /
because no one asked me to exchange this with a house on the seaside /
because I can even have a garden /
it was a pragmatic choice /
it just happened /
when I was a punk we squatted this empty and dead land /
to not feel like living in a cage /
because this is also a cultural project /
for leading a more sustainable way of living /
I came as a guest and then I stayed /
because I love meeting new people who are always passing by /
because we can organize the space according to our needs /
for the ecological shape of this place /
to contrast the idea that commercial interests can determine how urban space is used /
to shape and negotiate the surronding in which we live /
because this is a public space open to everybody /
because this is our home and our utopia /
'cause Utopia is far and this is only a step forward". | | |
Most of these pictures were taken in November 2012 in Wagenplatz Lohmühle, during an artist's residency in GlogauAIR Berlin.
About author:
Francesca Cirilli (Viareggio, Italy, 1982) held a BA in Photography at IED-Torino and graduated in Contemporary History at Pisa University.
She actually lives in Turin, where she joins her personal researches with the professional activity as freelance photographer for cultural and artistic institutions, documentary and architecture photography.
Since January 2016 she is co-curator of JEST– space for photographic culture, a project promoting exhibitions, education and events around contemporary photography.
(jestfotografia.net).
She teaches photography in various schools and works as cinematographer for documentary and feature films.
Her researches focus on the observation and analysis of how social, economical and environmental mechanisms and processes develop and take form in places, throug history and stories: she mainly concentrates her attention on the organization and use of spaces and the relations and forces that are established in them. The issue of inhabiting and the relation between people and places are recurring themes in her work.
RESIDENCIES
ABITARE, curated by Mufoco–Contemporary Photography Museum, La Triennale, Ministry of Culture
Dintorno, Passi erratici, curated by S. Riba, Paralup, 2017
Residenza Alpina, curated by Arteco, Alta Valle Cervo, 2015
Fotografia nel Parco dell'Appennino Tosco Emiliano, curated by A. Botto, D. De Luigi, 2015
Identity of metropolitan Turin, curated by O. Gambari, for Torino Internazionale, 2014
1,2,3, click!, research project on school architecture, curated by Arteco and Fondazione Agnelli, 2014
GlogauAir - Artist in Residence Program, Berlin, 2012
Sin_Tesis lab #03, photographic campaign with photographer Simon Roberts, SiFest, 2012
Open Your Mountains Artists in residence – Mountain Photo Festival, Courmayeur, 2008
EXHIBITIONS
2018
ABITANTI. Seven glances on today Italy, curated by M. Balduzzi, Mufoco–Contemporary Photography Museum, La Triennale, Milan (IT)
CURA, Camera Italian Center for Photography, Turin (IT)
CURA, Piedmont Region Palace, Turin (IT)
999 questions on inhabiting, curated by S. Mirti, La Triennale, Milan (IT)
2017
Athens Photo Festival 17, The Photobook Exhibition, Athens (GR)
Stress the Archive!, dialogue with Francesco Zanot, Camera, Turin (IT)
Fahrenheit39 Art Book Fair, Ravenna (IT)
2016
Francesco Fabbri award, Palazzo Brandolini, Pieve di Soligo (IT)
Urban Fossils, Science Festival, Natural History Museum, Genova (IT)
Residenza Alpina, curated by Arteco, Valle Cervo (IT)
Urban Fossils, Natural History Museum, Trieste (IT)
2015
Slideluck Micro Galleries (slideshow), Nowra, Australia (AUS)
PhotoLux festival, talk Fotografia nel Parco dell'Appennino, Lucca (IT)
Urban Fossils, MuSe – Sciences museum, Trento (IT)
The Others Fair, former prison Le Nuove, Turin (IT)
Autofocus 7, curated by O.Gambari, Baricole, Torino (IT)
Coste e fiumi: paesaggi in mutazione, Architecture House, Roma (IT)
2014
Slideluck Bologna, curated by Renata Ferri (projection) / Spazio Labò, Bologna (IT)
Si Fest 2014 - Atlante.it (with Habitat Project) / Savignano sul Rubicone (IT)
Circulation(s), festival de la jeune photographie européenne, Giovane Fotografia Italiana#2 / Centquatre, Paris (FR)
Frames (projection) / Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow, Scotland (UK)
Centre-Periphery, International award for young artists, Museo Nazionale Terme di Diocleziano, Roma (IT)
1,2,3, click!, curated by Arteco, Turin (IT)
Territoires en images / Institut de Géographie, Paris (FR)
2013
As a fallen apartment building (solo show) / Bild studio, Torino (IT)
Approdo al Futuro, curated by F. Baboni, S. Taddei / Palazzo Orlando, Livorno (IT)
Francesca Cirilli_As a fallen apartment building || Laura Fiorio_In the jungle of cities (double solo show) / Dom kulture gallery, Kamnik, Lubiana, Slovenia (SI)
Mediterranea16 - Biennal of Mediterranean (projection) / Mole Vanvitelliana, Ancona (IT)
Le rovine esposte, curated by E. Biffi Gentili / OGR, Torino (IT)
Fotografia Europea, Young Italian Photography#2, curated by D.De Luigi /Officina delle Arti, Reggio Emilia (IT)
2012
Open studios / GlogauAIR, Berlin (DE)
L'architettura del Mondo, curated by A. Ferlenga / Triennale, Milan (IT)
Combat Prize / Museo Fattori, Livorno (IT)
2011
SI FEST 2011, Paesaggi instabili, curated by S.Rossl, M.Sordi / Savignano sul Rubicone (IT)
Artecittà, art and urban transformation / Pistoletto Foundation, Biella (IT)
Dove finisce la città, Festival Architettura in città / palazzo Bertalazzone, Turin (IT)
Turin-Earth. Città e nuove migrazioni / Museo della Resistenza, Turin (IT)
Con.fondere, VI Young Artists Biennale / SMS - Center for Contemporary Art, Pisa (IT)
2010
Internazionale d’Arte LGBT / AV Art Galerie, Turin (IT)
Artist in residence 2008-09, Mountain Photo Festival / Cittadella dei Giovani, Aosta (IT)
2009
Open your mountains - Montagna e desertificazione / Porta Pretoria, Aosta (IT)
Vista e Suono / Cherasco (IT)
2008
Francesca Cirilli and Fatma Bucak (double solo show) / Italian Cultural Institute, Warsaw, Poland (PL)
Young Italian Photography / Media Art Gallery, Warsaw, Poland (PL)
RFC /Rapallo Fotografia Contemporanea, curated by A.Botto / Antico Castello, Rapallo (IT)
Paratissima IV / Turin (IT)
AWARDS AND PRIZES
ABITARE, promoted by Mufoco–Contemporary Photography Museum Milano-Cinisello Balsamo, Italian Ministry of Culture, Triennale di Milano – Winner
Marco Pesaresi award 2017 – Shortlisted
Francesco Fabbri award 2016 – Shortilisted
Photogrvphy grant 2016 – Nominee
Autofocus7 award – Special mention
Centre-Periphery, international award for young artists, Federculture, 2014 – Finalist
Stupinigi Fertile, 2014 – second prize
Accademia Apulia UK-Photography Award, 2013 – Shortlisted
Combat Prize - Special prize Under 35, Livorno, 2012 – Winner
Situa.to, Regione Piemonte, 2010 – Research grant
National Geographic-International competition, 2010 – Shortlisted
Italian Wave–Artissima, 2008 – Shortlisted
Young Photoghraphy, IV° Wasaw Artistic Photography Festival, 2008 – Special Mention