200 thousand flowers in a church in Parma: Rebecca Louise Law's first site-specific installation Curated by OTTN Projects, an all female collective here interviewed by nss G-Club
On the occasion of Parma Capitale Cultura 2020, FLORILEGIUM, the first site-specific installation by artist Rebecca Louise Law and curated by the team of OTTN Projects, an all-female collective that since 2018 has been promoting new ways of operating in the cultural scene, inaugurated at the beginning of October.
It might seem odd, even out of place, to talk about art and exhibitions at a time like this, but the project and more generally the philosophy that distinguishes OTTN Projects reflects a broader commitment that focuses on culture, on its meaning on society, on its impact on people's lives, as an integral part for the restart of this country. Even more so if you think that behind this collective are four very young women, Giorgia Ori, Francesca Rossi, Erika Gaibazzi and Federica Pilloni, who in the last two years have worked to bring the works of an artist of the calibre of Rebecca Louise Law in Italy, and who did not stop even in the hardest months of the pandemic.
The girls of OTTN Projects have told nss G-Club about their story, their aims and their hopes for the future.
As you also write on your website, culture is essential for progress. In your opinion, what role will art and culture play in the restart of our country?
For us, culture has a meaning that influences the way we live, going far beyond the concept of paintings and museums. Culture is the ability to investigate the causes of things and not get lost in the countless consequences. Much of this "restart" did not take into consideration issues of primary importance, such as care for the environment from which we draw resources or the sustainability of our society. On a more immediate level, culture is identity, of the individual and of the community, and therefore we should ask ourselves if it represents us and if the institutions are able to satisfy the needs and expectations of the new generations (in which we place great hopes!). We would like the art world to make more noise and be more engaged in the conversation. It would be nice to agree in giving due weight to intangible needs and the right importance to relationships with each other, with the world, with the environment that surrounds us and with the nature that birthed us. Because culture is real only when it's really addressed to us, to a community that actively participates in the changes, from here our country must start over.
