MILAN.- Video Sound Art, the Milanese festival dedicated to innovation and contemporary art directed by Laura Lamonea and now in its 6th edition, returns once again this year.

Organized with support from Milan City Council, the Lombardy Regional Council and Pro Helvetia – the Swiss Foundation for culture – this year the festival is in the autumn – from 20th October to 6th November, with a reticular structure across the city of Milan, in five different locations: the Institut Français in Milan, the “Leonardo da Vinci” Museum of Science and Technology, Villa Simonetta, the Franco Parenti Theatre and the Museum of Design 1880 -1980.

The whole city will become the set of Video Sound Art Festival, involving some of the most remarkable cultural Milanese places.

THE THEME OF THE FESTIVAL: “TA EROTIKA Hidden doors”
After having investigated the relationship between man and the map in all its possible variants and representations (The Man into the Map), this year Video Sound Art abandons the rational and looks to the interruption of logical thought and the perturbing Freudian thought, an enigmatic feeling which is both dangerous and familiar.

“TA EROTIKA Hidden doors” is the title of this year’s festival: the collapse of reason in front of the erotic object, “Ta erotika”; whilst “Hidden Doors”, the secondary title, identifies the perturbing and frightening element which comes to the surface but which should have stayed secret.

THE GUEST ARTISTS OF THE 6TH EDITION OF VIDEO SOUND ART
Art thus becomes the privileged route of access to the erotic event. Seven international artists investigate the theme, mixing different languages: video, sculpture, installation and performance.

They are: the French Lebanese Nour Awada ((Institut Français in Milan - Gallery, 20 - 23 October); the Italians Ugo La Pietra (Villa Simonetta - Chapel, 26 - 30 October) and Cleo Fariselli (Villa Simonetta - Chapel, 4 - 6 November); the Brazilian Bibi Yamamoto (Museum of Science and Technology - Sala delle Colonne –28 - 30 October), the Canadian artist Alice Jarry (Museum of Science and Technology - Sala del Cenacolo, 28 - 30 October) who will be joined, as every year, by the winner of the Open Call of Video Sound Art (Museum of Science and Technology - Cloister and Sala del Cenacolo 28 - 30 October); the German Thadeusz Tischbein (Franco Parenti Theatre - Sala Treno Blu, 29 - 30 October) and the Swiss artist Delphine Depres (Museum of Design 1880 -1980, 2 - 6 November).

The artists lead the spectator to the encounter with the object of love, in unconventional spaces but precisely by virtue of that artistic act, and dialoguing with it, they gain a new value and meaning.

THE FOUR GUEST CURATORS
Under the supervision of the artistic direction and the coordination of the staff of Video Sound Art, alongside the curator Laura Lamonea, four young curators have been selected who will develop site specific projects with the artists of the festival.

They are the winners of the Open Call of the last edition of the festival Lucio La Pietra, son of Ugo, with whom he will collaborate on creating an interactive work; the young Marta Cereda and Barbara Garatti, who we met at the workshops organized by the Temporary Academy of Video Sound Art and Michele Pili, the young director of the culture department of the Institut Français in Milan.

The very young assistant curator, Thomas Ba, student in curatorship of the Central Saint Martins, London, will be collaborating with them.

CREATIVE CONTAMINATION AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXCHANGE
The festival, which has always promoted innovative languages and practices of creative contamination, intends to foster the exchange of competences between artists; this year this is also done through an original collaboration between the VSA staff and 4 of the participating artists - Ugo la Pietra, Bibi Yamamoto, Nour Awada and Cleo Fariselli – each of which engaged in creating an interactive installation produced especially for the festival.

Lastly, in dialogue with the artistic exhibitions, and in the spirit of a real multidisciplinary exchange, this year again the venues of the VSA festival will be hosting live performances and, for the first time, a programme of lectures by teachers of philosophy and theoreticians of the art world on topical questions and themes the scientific committee of the festival have drawn attention to.

In collaboration with the Claudio Abbado Civil Music School, a structured programme of concerts – from the performances of string quartets to performances of ancient music, from musical research projects and blues concerts – will be a frame and counterpoint for the inaugurations at each of the festival venues.