Inventorying discarded objects and waste at SculptureCenter, New York

FORGOTTEN SCULPTORS
Lo Stato Delle Cose / The State Of Things
November 3, 2007

Discarded objects and waste found at SculptureCenter
between Oct 30 and Nov 3, 2007:

4 small pieces of white plaster
lead tube with twine
broken lamp
scrap of paper, "satisfied"
large label, marked "armored cable"
iron wire and piece of rusted metal
lid of coffee cup
bent bar of rusted metal
ring of rusted metal with plastic
fragment of black stone
2 black rags
piece of bubble-wrap
piece of transparent adhesive tape
rusty screw
piece of broken ceramics
2 stones (1 with a square section)
boot leaning on protruding wall
2 wooden boards
small piece of styrofoam
square piece of wood
wooden wedge
metal pin of an electric plug
white plastic fragment from an electric wire
piece of blue adhesive tape stuck on a brick
band for holding wires
label "22 watt"
piece of twisted blue adhesive tape
piece of cardboard, 20 cm long
small piece of white wire
piece of black adhesive tape
wadding
4 screws
2 pieces of electric wire
piece of tangled up wire
fragment of film
metal washer
rusty iron key
small piece of red electric wire
small piece of adhesive tape
piece of plastic sheeting
pair of old gloves
3 pieces of electric wire
screw
bent metal ring
rolled up piece of white adhesive tape
zip tie, V shaped
pieces of electric cable and iron wire, rolled up
piece of transparent plastic
small black cable, Y-shaped
rusty iron wire, bent
small iron bar, length 50 cm
small piece of wood with two screws
various leaves
white plastic ring
piece of ceramics
small piece of steel, probably a pin from a plug
white mold, looking like cotton wool
rusty screw
small thin piece of white glass
small wooden wedge
small piece of wood approx 4cm
2 pieces of packaging foam, '8'-shaped
2 pieces packaging foam, '8'-shaped, broken
piece of wood, approx 10 x 2 x 2 cm
piece of cloth, almost fossilized (resembling chicken skin)
2 small pieces of paper
thin plastic ribbon, approx 30 cm long
iron wire, bent
screw, 4cm, with nut
screw of light bulb, bent
several small pieces of light blue packaging foam
new screw with nuts
2 red felt pen lids
screw, 3 cm
knotted elastic
piece of electric wire, white/gold, approx 15 cm
piece of large adhesive tape, black
two grey nails
piece of black electric wire 35 cm long, hanging from a hole in the ceiling
hexagonal bolt
small piece of paper
fragment of label
2 small pieces of coating from electric wire
small round piece metal marked “80 tons”
3 stones (one made of brick and mortar, one cubic, and one very small)
stone, profile-shaped approx. 15 cm
yellow felt pen lid
fine metal wire with three screws
bolt with indentations
hexagonal nut
small ball of blonde hair
right-angled stone, 10 cm
piece of lead, 2 cm
amorphous piece of copper
2 pieces of broken glass
iron tube, 30 cm
ball of hair, 3 cm
large broken bolt
hexagonal nut
2 pieces of stone, cube shaped 12 x 4 cm
small shiny stone
wooden wedge 5 cm high
large quantity of rubble and dust
copper washer with small hole, 3 cm
piece of small packaging foam, light blue
piece of electric cable, 5 cm
piece of black rubber (looks like car tyre)
2 black stones, flat – one 20 cm, one elliptical, 35 cm wide
ceramic and metal mechanism looking like an alarm clock, 10 cm high
piece of wood, 30 cm high
2 fragments of ceramics, one grey, one brown
stone, like from river bed, very wrinkly
piece of black wood, 25 cm
rusty screw, 5 cm
screw with square head 2.5 cm
new hexagonal nut
rusty screw
large nut, broken
piece of polystyrene, 4 cm long
rusty screw, 5 cm
2 pieces of white earthenware, very dirty
white stone with hole
small white stone, wonky shaped, with small hole
piece of iron with small round hole, 4 cm
rusty nut with small hole
piece of coating, torn, 4 cm
piece of thin iron wire, twisted
piece of old electric cable, black, 20 cm
enormous plug with screw inside, 15 cm
piece of dirty plastic
small pointy stone
angular stone
piece of glass
2 pieces of cement
rusty iron door handle
washer
ceramic tube approx 25 cm
complex metallic material including cap marked “ford”
iron wire
collar with strips
piece of rubber tubing, black, 4 cm
coil, almost complete
white styrofoam, right angle, 10 cm long
sheet of slate, triangular, 20 cm long
large ceramic coil, white, broken
screw with washer and small nut
metal disk with hole in the middle approx 6 cm
new bolt with small hole
1st level: bolt, 3cm with hole
large ceramic spiral, almost complete
flake of dirt
2 pieces of earthenware, brown
piece of black stone, circular
piece of toilet roll, dirty and black
beige stone, triangular, 3 cm long
1 shiny stone, 3 cm
glove, folded in 2, standing up
copper wire, R-shaped, standing up
iron mechanism with 4 discs of rubber
hexagonal nut, new
piece of copper wire, torn, standing up
piece of rock, slightly shiny, 4 cm
small rock from river bed, covered in white lime
piece of brick, 3 cm long
rusty nut, 5 cm wide
right-angled stone, 25cm long
triangular stone
metal clasp, 4 cm wide
staples, joined together
small piece of L-shaped metal, very thin
small strip of cotton
3 nails
strip of black plastic
nut
bottle top
plastic folder, red, blue and yellow marked “firm grip”
staple
transparent plastic folder, containing 2 small orange cylinders
coca-cola label
small piece of transparent plastic
plastic tape, transparent, tangled up
2 nails
piece of wood
shoe laces, white
long and thin nail, bent
small piece of metal, cylindrical, golden
plastic beaker, hard and transparent
cardboard box with label “medium split lock washer”
tube of black plastic
small piece of paper tape, tangled up
sheet of laminated paper, “create with clay”
sheet of laminated paper, upside down “play sculptionary”
piece of black plastic with 4 holes
plastic folder with small bar code
long plastic strip
paper tissue, crumpled
white shelf
small piece of paper tape, twisted
small white rag
small piece of thin cardboard, black and dirty, marked “stop set”
thin nylon wire
staple
small stone
long packaging plastic strip, white
piece of black plastic sheeting, crumpled
2 pieces of cardboard
blue transparent plastic folder, marked “wood”
thin, white, plastic strip
2 small stones
4 staples
piece of styrofoam
small piece of blue plastic
transparent plastic folder with bar code
long piece of metal
screw
staple
piece of white and blue plastic, with bar code
long, flat piece of wood, painted black on one side
nail
piece of pink adhesive tape, crumpled
piece of rectangular cardboard, white, with piece of blue paper stuck on
2 thin strips of wood approx. 7 cm
small, rigid plastic cylinder, black
piece of thin transparent plastic, with orange printed text
2 small pieces of styrofoam
2 gems made from black and red plastic
little red star
fake precious stones made from silver and light blue plastic
adhesive letters A, S, L, made from black paper
white round plastic container
thin strip of wood
crumpled piece of black adhesive tape
nail with orange piece of plastic attached
pieces of scrap plastic, transparent
pink tape, crumpled up
strip of white tape
drawing pin, white plastic
leaflet, red paper, marked “Hilti”
very big screw, white
plastic pin, black
28 small stones, grouped in a corner
3 screws
piece L-shaped metal, very thin
2 small pieces of plastic, transparent
strip of cardboard
piece of broken lamp shade (part which holds light bulb)
golden screw
blue t-shirt, marked “2000 york”
piece of paper tape
adhesive letter U, black paper
piece of blue paper
2 pieces of thin glass
screw
small stone
cardboard box, black and yellow, crushed, marked “Remington”
piece of polystyrene
piece of plastic cord with metal inside
washer bent
iron wire, tangled up, with little colored stars
little piece of wood, approx 6 cm long
group of 26 stones
thin wire of black cloth
electric cable, covered in transparent plastic, 2 m
transparent plastic cup
2 small orange fragment of rubber, star shaped
screw
small, triangular piece of tile
pin with colored round head
small piece of styrofoam
1 cent coin
rusty screw
velcro label
two 10 cent coin
screw with small nut
amorphous piece of silicon,
point for drill, rusty
screw, covered with thin gray dust
small piece of plaster
piece of wood, approx 3 cm
small piece of aluminum foil
split-ring lock washer
printed cardboard approx 10 cm, covered with mold
beer bottle cap
small leaf
2 amorphous brown objects, very light
bottle of beer
piece of black adhesive tape, 2 cm
23 leaves
“walker” biscuit container
potato chips container
plastic glove
white scottex paper
small piece of brown paper, rolled up
2 white plastic bag with garbage
pair of woman black shoes
2 foam core boards, approx 150 cm wide, taped together
cardboard pizza container
yellow elastic band
big cardboard box, with orange wire
shredded paper
pink post-it, crumpled.

During the performance every single item returned to its original position.

Forgotten Sculptors: 4. A Blind Sculptor

Istituto Nazionale dei Ciechi di Guerra, Rome. On the floor, two bronzes by Filippo Bausola (Vittorio Emanuele III and Benito Mussolini), circa 1934

The last image is a hailstorm of little black stones against the leaden gray field of the sky. Then an awful burning sensation all over my face, stabbing pain in the eye sockets. I was lying in a bed, voices whispered so softly that the words were almost incomprehensible, though they seemed to be talking about me. I thought I heard the word "extraction". The smell of chloroform and, in the distance, moaning.
Five years ago, when I delivered my work to the Head of State, Benito Mussolini, he was very surprised and pleased. He told me he had rarely seen portraits of such accuracy, and when he found out that I had made the work only from memory, and by touching some other sculptures, like that of Selva, he allowed me to touch his face so I would know what a good job I had done.
For the regime I was some kind of hero: blinded by a grenade near the end of the war, I had begun to sculpt: I shaped clay, sculpted stone, received dozens of commissions, and today my sculptures are found in many public buildings in Rome, the great home of the invalids, the ministry, the headquarters of the blind veterans.

Over time, though, I seemed to understand that another possibility existed, apart from that of trying to reproduce the forms of a face, the proportions of a body as accurately as I could. It was Zighina, daughter of the sun. She agreed to be the model of a blind sculptor, and she let me touch not only her face but also her whole body. I understand almost nothing of her language, and she cannot speak mine, but she guides my hands, and with hers she helps me to know her in the only way I can. With an ingenuousness (or indifference?) that to me seems like naturalness and complicity, she let me be free to feel pleasure when I touch her.
Since I became blind I have always said that sounds seem almost like an intrusion, that the sense of smell is useless, and that eating serves only to fill the stomach. I said that the blind have eyes in their fingertips. But since Zighina arrived touch gives me a pleasure that I had never imagined. Today I think my art can go beyond color and figure. I want to be able to make sculpture that reproduces the sensuality of a smooth surface, not the form of an arm or a thigh; the pleasure of caressing a throbbing breast, not its perfect roundness. I would like to be a pioneer, to make sculpture something it has never been: an art of the touch.

Freely adapted from the story of Filippo Bausola (1893-1952), who became a sculptor after losing his sight in World War I, and from the film Môjuu (English title: Blind Beast) by Masumura Yasuzo (1969).

(Translation: Steve Piccolo)

Bendati/Blindfolded

SculptureCenter Presents

Bendati/Blindfolded, an open, collective performance

Sunday, November 18, 2007
10am New York; 11am Buenos Aires; 12pm São Paulo; 3pm London; 4pm Cairo, Rome; 5pm Addis Ababa; 9pm Phnom Penh; 10pm Shanghai

Everyone, all over the world, is invited to take part in the action Bendati/Blindfolded.
Participants are asked to remain blindfolded for one hour. This is to identify with the state of mind of Luigi, who, for over a year now, has had trouble with his eyesight. He must remain in complete darkness, or keep his eyes closed for long periods of time. Those contributing are free to stay still or move, do something or not, work or rest. Participants are also invited to identify with Luigi's condition and very simply experience the loss of sight for an hour.
After the performance impressions can be posted on forgottensculptors.blogspot.com: a space where analogies, coincidences, and individual thoughts may appear; where images and voices seen or heard during the action can find an echo.

Emilio Fantin, Luigi Negro, Giancarlo Norese, Cesare Pietroiusti


Bendati/Blindfolded and Forgotten Sculptors
Bendati/Blindfolded is the last action in a series of performances that make up Forgotten Sculptors. Forgotten Sculptors is a project by Fantin, Negro, Norese, and Pietroiusti, produced by SculptureCenter for Performa 07. Part of the project consists in a series of short email stories. A performance by the four artists with the participation of Joan Jonas and Steve Piccolo will be held at SculptureCenter on November 3rd at 3pm as a part of Forgotten, Continuous, Influx: 30 Hours at SculptureCenter.

With the support of the Italian Cultural Institute, New York
In collaboration with Fondazione Salvatore Meo, Roma

Photo: Davide Bertocchi


SculptureCenter, New York
www.sculpture-center.org
(1) 718 361 1750