Prammatica
by Giancarlo Norese and Cesare Pietroiusti

 

Oreste is not a group: in fact there is not a list of individuals who belong to it, or, viceversa, a list of people who do not. You will never know who is part of it and who is not.

Oreste is not simply a container for (or a sum of) initiatives because, although not a group, it is made of the enthusiasm, the ideas and the characteristics of those persons who, in different moments and in different contexts, represent it as a collective entity.

Someone could ask: how do I become a member of Oreste? And nobody can actually answer to that; but for sure, from time to time, someone new comes out and, at a certain moment, s/he is into it. There is not a specific city where Oreste is located, nor a definite working space for it. There is not a definite program, nor rules: nevertheless sometimes it works very well.

You could ask if Oreste actually still exist. It does, in the mind of the ones who are sure not to be part of it. For all the others, the uncertain ("am I part or am I not?"), the most common experience is probably that of a radical discontinuity; Oreste's existence-in-life depends on events, on new ideas, and, most of all, on the enthusiasm that any kind of opportunity can create.

Therefore Oreste do not correspond to any already existing model; it tries, instead, to experiment a new one, that could be defined that of a network-organism whose main characteristics, at the moment, are:

self-organization;

openness;

multiplication;

communication;

self-determination

A certain lack of definition is maybe the reason why it is invited to exhibitions, being seen not as much as an organization or a union, but rather as a "super-artist".

Such a network-organism, that works on the base of an openness and a multiplication of people involved, has inevitable side-effects such as self-destructive behaviors of individuals who feel themselves excluded, or isolated at the margins, and the necessity to negotiate among different levels of

awareness, etherogeneous agendas, different needs.

Being based on multiple connections, such an organism not only experiment a new model for a collective activity, but could also find a way to get access to the European funds for culture, that - accordingly to the official statements - should orientate themselves more and more towards multipolar and multinational projects.

A network between independent (artist-run, not-for profit, whatever) initiatives could give birth not only to a permanent forum with people meeting and exchanging information and resources regarding their own cultural practices - that is the model the Italian artists and curators experimented initiating the Oreste experience, in Paliano in 1997. Such a forum could become a place where participants put on a common ground their competencies regarding possibilities to get EC funds.

This would be justified by the simple fact that, working accordingly to a multipolar model, a competitive position (if you get the money, I won't), will be replaced by a cooperative one that increases each participant's possibilities of success.

 

Until now Oreste has received:

for the Oreste 0 residency in Paliano (July 1997):

- one month free use of the "Foresteria", a 40 beds hostel with common spaces and a little park, from the Comune di Paliano;

- logistic support, equipments, and food, from the organization "Zerynthia" and from Mrs. Elisabetta Colaceci;

- free use of a huge refrigerator with 50 kg of frozen fish and potatoes;

 

for the "How do I explain to my mother that what I am doing is useful?" three-days meeting in Bologna:

- free use of the conference hall and equipment, from the Link;

- hospitality in different houses of artists living in Bologna

 

for the publication of the book "Progetto Oreste 0":

- money to cover the typography expenses, from "Zerynthia";

- distribution of the book, from Charta publisher, Milan

 

for the residency Oreste 1 (Paliano, July 1998)

- one month free use of the "Foresteria" and its daily maintenance, from the Comune di Paliano;

- part of expenses for food, from Zerynthia and Mrs. Elisabetta Colaceci

 

For the publication of the book "Progetto Oreste 1"

- money to cover half of the typography expenses, from "Zerynthia";

- distribution, by Charta publisher

 

For the "Oreste at the Venice Biennale" project:

- the space and equipment, from the Venice Biennale;

- wine, bread and other food by several sponsors (Cantine Crifo, Asso.Pr.Oli, and Tarallificio Cascione, Ruvo di Puglia; Consorzio Panificatori di Matera; Cantine Sergio Mottura, Cioccolaterie Berardi)

- tables, chairs, sofas, from Zanotta, Milan;

- Internet access by Flashnet;

- thirty thousand copies of a little brochure with the complete program of the project, from Zanotta;

- a coffee-machine with hundreds of free cups of coffee, from Carissimi;

- a water-dispenser, from Aquaself;

- money to cover expenses for an open-air party in Venice, and other organization expenses, from Farmindustria;

- money to cover the two month rental of an apartment, from the visitors to the show who bought one or both of our books.

 

For the "Bacinonapoli" event:

- money to cover expenses for travels and food, by Pompeiorama and the Comune di Napoli;

- free hospitality from the local artists.

 

For the Oreste 2 residency (Montescaglioso, August-Sept. 1999):

- money to cover part of the expenses for food and housing, from the Comune di Montescaglioso and the Regione Basilicata;

- free use of the S. Angelo Abbey for meetings, from the Comune di Montescaglioso;

- wine, by local producers.

 

For the publication of the book "Oreste at the Venice Biennale"

- money to cover part of the typography cost, from Farmindustria

- distribution and part of the money for the book cover, from Charta publisher

 

For the participation to the exhibition "Democracy!" in London:

- 500£ from the Royal College of Arts

- 200£ from the Istituto Italiano di Cultura