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2008-Milano-Ilovepdf-Compressed.Pdf Dadamaino - L’Assoluta leggerezza dell’essere Associazione Culturale Renzo Cortina - Milano 17 giugno - 25 luglio 2008 A cura di Stefano Cortina Cortina Arte - Milano Catalogo a cura di: Stefano Cortina Apparati e segreteria: Roberta Folatti Ufficio stampa: Studio De Angelis Le foto delle opere sono di Giovanni Molino Crediti fotografici: Maria Mulas Si ringrazia: Wilma Saporiti Archivio Dadamaino 4 5 DADAMAINO L’assoluta leggerezza dell’essere A cura di Stefano Cortina Testi di Angela Madesani ASSOCIAZIONE CULTURALE RENZO CORTINA MILANO 4 5 6 7 L’assoluta leggerezza dell’essere L’assoluta leggerezza dell’essere Note su alcuni lavori di Dadamaino di Angela Madesani Molto, nel corso degli ultimi cinquant’anni, è stato scritto a proposito di Dadamaino, artista intelligente e significativa della seconda parte del XX secolo. Molti sono gli studi e gli scritti autorevoli a proposito della sua ricerca e delle sue opere1[1]. Mi piacerebbe, quindi, qui trovare e porre in evidenza un filo rosso all’in- terno del suo cammino: quello della leggerezza, della tensione verso il vuoto, la sparizione, l’annullamento, l’azzeramento, di cui Maino si cura sin dagli inizi nella tensione agognata di liberarsi della materia. «Ho sempre detestato la materia e ho sempre cercato l’immateriale. Al lavoro di un cromorilievo È come se tu facessi una rivoluzione, non una rivoluzione cruenta o guer- reggiata, ma anche quella se vuoi»2[2]. Importante per la sua formazione la scoperta dell’opera di Lucio Fonta- na, in una vetrina del centro di Milano, che diviene immediatamente un maestro ideale. Si viene così a creare un ictus profondo con tutto quello che aveva fatto prima. Negli stessi anni vede alla Galleria Apollinaire una mostra di monochromes di Yves Klein, anch’essi fondamentali per lo sviluppo della sua ricerca. Alla fine dei Cinquanta fa parte, quindi, di Azimuth3[3], insieme a Pie- ro Manzoni, Agostino Bonalumi, Enrico Castellani. Manzoni con il quale Maino ha avuto un rapporto di confronto, di dialogo, di sentire comune. Di questi anni sono i Volumi, fori ellittici in cui rimane una piccola parte della tela, che diviene cornice per lo spazio. «Quando nel ’58 ho comin- ciato a ritagliare le tele sino a che rimanesse in vista il telaio, è certo che mi mettevo in contrapposizione con il tipo di arte allora praticato. 1 [1] Si rimanda a questo proposito alla bibliografia citata da Francesca Pola in 2 [2] Dadamaino in Zero Italien Azimut/Azimuth 1959/1960 in Mailand. Und heute Zero Italia Azimut/ Azimuth 1959/1960 a Milano. E oggi, Galerie der Stadt Esslingen, Villa Merkel, 1995, p.81 3 [3] Dadamaino espone nella prima mostra collettiva di Azimut tra il dicembre del 1959 al gennaio Al lavoro di un cromorilievo 1960. 6 7 Tela, pennello-non ho proprio niente contro questi cari strumenti, che uso ora, ma con altra coscienza-spatolate di colore orgiasticamente celebrati- ve dell’era informale mi sembravano elementi da enucleare da capo»4[4]. La sua è un’operazione coraggiosa, forte, condotta per via di levare, in controtendenza nei confronti di coloro che a quel tempo lavoravano sulla materia. Quindi i Volumi a moduli sfasati in cui alla carta subentra la plastica. Sono fogli molto sottili di acetato, posti uno sull’altro, che vengono forati con un’operazione precisa e metodica, a intervalli regolari, tramite una fustella. Nel suo lavoro la leggerezza non è certo leggerezza di contenuti: è densa, pregna di significati. Il suo è un cammino pacato, fatto di tappe, di esiti, di soste, di meditazione, di lentezze per giungere all’assenza, testimone di una presenza oltre a cui si rimanda. È affascinata dalla trasparenza, dall’utilizzo di materiali non pensati per l’arte. La sua formazione primigenia, dopo il liceo classico è di tipo scientifico: per qualche tempo 1975, Dadamaino alla sua personale studia medicina. Nel suo lavoro è una sensibilità scientifica, di sapore Salone Annunciata di Milano matematico in una tensione verso l’infinito che sarà per sempre nel suo lavoro. Del 1962 è la Spirale rotante, che fa parte degli Oggetti ottico/dinamici. «Procedendo nelle ricerche dovetti io stessa entrare in officina per impa- rare diversi mestieri. Preparati come pittori ci eravamo trovati a usare del- le tecniche assolutamente sconosciute, e sovente non solo a noi, ma agli stessi tecnici. Infatti tentavamo di dare a dei materiali usi assolutamente inediti e che nessuno aveva mai sperimentato. Contemporaneamente, alla fine del 1962, dovetti avvicinarmi alle discipline matematico-scientifiche, sempre per queste ragioni. Andando nelle officine e studiando intravidi maggiori possibilità di lavo- ro…Pensai quindi di fare un oggetto che col movimento reale sviluppasse il concetto del movimento infinito, non solo, ma dell’infinito movimento della luce»5[5]. Ancora una volta Dadamaino sente il bisogno di alleggerire e realizza sull’Oggetto un cortometraggio, datato 1965, che verrà presentato alla mo- 4 [4] Dadamaino, dichiarazione inedita in E.Pontiggia Dadamaino, Edizione Endas Lombardia, Milano, 1974, Dadamaino al Salone Annunciata 1990, p. 6. di Milano 5 [5] Dadamaino, dichiarazione inedita in E.Pontiggia, op.cit., 1990, p. 33. 8 9 stra Nuova Tendenza di Zagabria dello stesso anno. Si vuole eliminare l’ingombro oneroso dei materiali e giungere alla pura idea, con l’illusio- ne che gli spettatori, in largo anticipo sui tempi, avrebbero potuto co- gliere il senso profondo di un’operazione di questo tipo. Sono questi gli anni in cui Dadamaino realizza i Componibili, fatti di tessere quadrate di celluloide bianca o colorata che scorrono su fili di nylon. Oppure fatti di tessere magnetiche, mobili, collocate sul metallo. Tra i lavori che con più forza si situano nel cammino che qui si cerca di rintracciare è l’Inconscio razionale. «Si tratta di una sorta di scrittura della mente, della mia: fatta di linee ora dense e marcate ora impercet- tibili e saltellanti, senza alcuna programmazione a priori, ma sensibile alla pressione della mano che, libera, corre e traccia senza premedita- zione. Ma è chiaro che se la mano è guidata dalla mente, in questo caso lo è dall’inconscio. Il risultato è una sorta di reticoli e di spazi vuoti, per nulla disordinati, che hanno una loro armonia»6[6] Del 1976 è la Lettera a Tall el Zataar che testimonia dell’impegno politi- co, sociale dell’artista. Si tratta di una risposta alla violenza del mondo, 1964, Dadamaino nello studiolo a una strage in cui sono morte tremila persone. Una reazione che divie- ne opera. «In un villaggio erano stati raccolti migliaia di palestinesi… tutti sapevano che sarebbe avvenuto un massacro…tutto il mondo lo sapeva, ne era a conoscenza…Nessuno voleva o poteva far niente…Io credevo ancora all’Uomo, al suo destino possibile, alla sua Bontà […]. Ho scritto una lettera, ho tracciato su fogli dei segni in modo ossessivo, facendo linee, tracciando questa lettera come un’invocazione sui fogli, piena di dolore, impotenza… […] Quindi la sorte si è compiuta e sono state uccise tremila persone. […] Sono andata sulla spiaggia in Calabra e con un bastone veramente per scaricare tutta la mia rabbia ho fatto tutto il giorno segni sulla sabbia. […] Il giorno dopo sono tornata sulla spiaggia ed erano rimasti dei segni, sembravano delle H, una lettera muta nella nostra lingua…per questo avevo parlato di una protesta labi- le perché scritta sulla sabbia e che mi dava una lettera muta…»7[7]. Anche nella zona della sua ricerca maggiormente segnata dall’ambito sociale, Maino si tiene lontana dai partiti, dai favoritismi politici, pur non facendo mistero delle sue idee comuniste. E a maggior ragione si 6 [6] Dadamaino in Temporale Rivista d’arte e di cultura, 26, 1991, Edizioni Dabbeni, Lugano. 1974, Dadamaino al Salone Annunciata di Mila- 7 [7] Dadamaino in Dadamaino l’alfabeto della mente, conversazione con L.M.Barbero, Comune di no con Gianni Colombo Virgilio, 2003, p. 33. 8 9 sente lontana dall’arte per il popolo. Nessuna funzione da intellettuale organico, che non sarebbe riuscita a reggere. «Fare un’arte popolare capita alle masse? Ma questa esiste già, per mezzo della produzione commerciale. Però, proprio per questo tipo di lavoro che riscuote tanto consenso popolare, denuncia il divario culturale e il relativo grossolano imbroglio con cui la gente viene condita via a contentarsi dell’ennesima copia dello scugnizzo e della baita disneyana con tramonto sul lago che vale perché è fatta a mano»8[8]. Nel 1978, in conseguenza alla Lettera di qualche tempo prima, nasce I fatti della vita. Un diario illeggibile, intimo e collettivo al tempo stesso, un lavoro di matrice esistenziale in senso ampio. È un lavoro sull’espe- rienza. «Ad un certo punto ho pensato di fare un’unica grande opera… dal microcosmo al macrocosmo…un microcosmo che si pone innume- revoli domande sul senso della vita, della storia, se poi ha un senso; e se è un non senso tentare di trovare un senso al nonsenso. Non ci offrono responsi questi fogli. Ma un conforto sì: sappiamo che in una di quelle carte, a una riga imprecisata, uno di quei segni parla anche di noi… 1975, Dadamaino nello studiolo di Milano parla della foglia di rosa e della foglia di alloro, delle nevi dello scorso anno. Perché non ci sarebbe l’infinito se non ci fosse il finito»9[9]. Degli anni Ottanta sono le Costellazioni in cui, ancora una volta, pro- tagonista è il segno in una sorta di dimensione empirica, come in un esperimento scientifico. Da questo momento Dadamaino si dedica, sempre più, a opere legate alla conoscenza. Emerge in lei una necessità gnoseologica nei confronti del circostante che la pone in una posizione particolare all’interno del mondo dell’arte. Il suo è un bisogno di conoscenza che si sviluppa nel tempo, che continua oltre il suo lavoro e che va leggero verso l’assoluto.
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