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Paradise Lost at the University
of Rome Sapienza
Rome, November 26, 2007 -- The event
hall at the Department of Art of the University Sapienza in Rome was at moments
too small on November 26 to accommodate all those interested in Roma art.
Organized by the University or
Rome Sapienza, ArteFacta and the Roma Pavilion, the virtual presentation of the
52nd Biennale of Contemporary Art in Venice and the Roma Pavilion
resembled the event organized only a few days earlier in London.
Except that in Rome the discussion
about the Pavilion alone took more then two hours in a packed room full of
students, graduates and professors of history of art, art critics and
journalists who had many questions to ask and comments to make.
Delaine Le Bas, one of the artists
presented at the Roma Pavilion, was interviewed by Mary Angela Schroth, the Artistic
Curator of the ArteFacta Virtual
Biennale project.
Delaine Le Bas introduced the
Pavilion, art and artists exhibited in it, by commenting on the ArteFacta
movies from the Pavilion projected on a huge screen.
Jean-Leonard Touadi, Deputy Mayor
and Integration Commissioner in the City of Rome, an expert in African art native
of Congo, met Delaine Le Bas.
“We are extremely happy for your presence in Rome, in this
university, as an artist first, then as a woman and as a Roma person. We
believe that the city of Rome must continue to be the City of Welcome to all
the kinds of races and people, as it has been for centuries in history” –
said Jean-Leonard Touadi at the meeting with Delaine Le Bas.
One of the strongest impressions
from the event was that we live in a truly high-tech era, with the Internet and
Google technology enabling us to bring art to mass audiences. That feeling was emphasized by having
Viktor Misiano, member of the Scientific Board of the Roma Pavilion, commenting
on the Pavilion and its importance via Skype from his house in Moscow, Russia.
In a voice broadcasted over the
speakers in the event hall, Viktor Misiano said that everyone knows that the Venice Biennale was founded, up
to now, on the principle of National Pavilion Representation. “So I think this
pavilion is strange and important – from many points of view even crucial
to the history of the Venice Biennale” – added Misiano, pointing to the
fact that Roma Pavilion had 16 artists from eight European
countries.
Says Delaine Le Bas: “The whole experience in Rome was
quite amazing. There was dialogue and discussion throughout the day from when I
arrived until departing. Whoever I met, wanted to ask questions both about the
Pavilion and the Roma situation in Europe.
“I spoke to Professors and students at all times
explaining the situation, especially in the U.K and how it was different form
the rest of Europe but giving an overall picture.
“We discussed the Pavilion with Viktor also talking
to the audience via Skype. Questions were left until the end of the event and I
talked to students after the event was finished.
“The general feedback was that I had given a new
picture of a community that the general population knows nothing of e.g most
people thought that all Roma come from Romania.
“This event was well organized and the whole presentation
with ArteFacta worked so well. Our discussions continued until it was time for
me to leave and hosts accompanied me to the airport on the train, where we
continued to talk about the Pavilion in Venice and the art works.
“It seems that a great deal was achieved in just one day” – ends Delaine Le Bas.
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