It’s just been 48 years of the disappearance of the still controversial Italian artist Piero Manzoni (1933-1963), in all likelihood one of the most fascinating creative and influential minds of the artistic movement of the last half century.

Manzoni’s artistic activity, like the one of his contemporary, Yves Klein, who also died prematurely just a year before the Italian, is part of the favorable environment of a self-critical art created from the late 40’s and early 50’s by groups such as COBRA, Gutai, Letterist International, the Situationist International, the neo-dada or New Realists and individuals such as John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg and Ad Reinhardt. The work of all of them, like Klein and Manzoni’s themselves began to question, in many cases from the work of Marcel Duchamp and the Dadaists, the status of the object, not infrequently seeking a redefinition of the role of art which did not have as an essential element creating objects but rather transferring and donating experiences, thus affirming the everyday as the subject of art in progressive attempts of dematerialization of the art object and developing an ongoing investigation of the art exhibition as a phenomenon itself.

Influenced Klein’s monochromatic exposure in Milan in 1957, Manzoni began making his famous Acroma, white monochrome paintings produced by the immersion of the canvas in kaolin. In a similar way to Klein, Manzoni thought that pure material could become pure energy: “expression, illusion and abstraction are hollow fictions. There is nothing to say, you just have to be, just have to live”.

As an example of the invisible intangible force, in 1959 Manzoni began drawing lines on sheets of landscape paper, which he then rolled and sealed in cylindrical boxes. On these lines he wrote the length of the line, the date it was drawn and signature. The work, as in the case of Erased De Kooning by Rauschenberg was all a set, no lines drawn. The viewer must be confident that there really were the lines inside. A similar work, in this case both alchemical as critical resonances and considerably more controversial, was the packaging of his own shit in cans labeled as Artist’s shit were put up for sale. Similarly, Manzoni sold his own breath as an artist, conveniently very high priced, in a box containing a balloon and a tripod where to put it.

But the always cared and elegant works by the joker Manzoni were not at odds with a touching lyric quality. An empty pedestal in a public park of 82x100x100cm containing a reversed inscription. As we approach we see: “Base of the World”, and underneath, in smaller letters “Base magic number 3 / Piero Manzoni -1961 – / Homage to Galileo”, turning the Earth into a gigantic and beautiful piece of art.

Piazza del Duomo
Milan (Milano)
Italy IT (Italy)
Tel: +39 02 8646 1394

Paul Oilzum

If you found this article interesting, don’t miss his work in the permanent exhibition at the Civic Museum of Contemporary Art in Milan – CIMAC (Palazzo Reale, Piazza del Duomo) when you rent one of the apartments in Milan

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Translated by: Maria
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Women’s orgasm is a mystery not only for men who go crazy to generate them in their partners but also for women who, many times and because of different problems, cannot reach it. Of course, if you consider yourself an intelligent person you will not have problems to reach it because now a study by King’s College of London found that smart women reach it more easily and generally enjoy sex more.

This research compared 2,035 twin sisters and determined that the ones with greater emotional intelligence, which is defined as the ability to recognize and handle feelings both own and alien, have more orgasms and a better sexual life.

Participants in question answered long questionnaires about their sexual relationships and questions addressed to measure emotional intelligence. Finally it was concluded that there is a strong link between emotional intelligence and the frequency of orgasm either during masturbation as in a sexual relation.

“Emotional intelligence seems to have a direct effect in the sexual functioning of women, as it interferes in their ability to communicate their expectations and wishes to their partner”, stated Andrea Burri, the research director. This is related to each woman’s ability to have fantasies during sexual act and with the control sensation. Esto esta relacionado a la capacidad de cada mujer a tener fantasías durante el acto sexual y con la sensación de control.

MiLK

So, you know, if you think you are an intelligent woman and determined to meeting men, without doubt you will reach an orgasm earlier. If this is the case or if you’re in a relationship for some time the best you can do is to rent apartments in Milan and enjoy a relaxing week of pure sex with your partner.?

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Translated by: Maria
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Although in the last election the Conservative Party announced that in case of winning the British elections they would form the greenest government in the history of the United Kingdom, only a few weeks were enough in power to announce their policy of privatization of all forests and nature reserves in Great Britain.

Similarly, after having boasted of their love for literacy and the need for the habit of reading in all households -the current Deputy Minister of Culture qualified of unprecedented and shameful the possibility that the previous Labor government would close a library in their policy of containment public spending- once in power the coalition of conservatives and liberals threaten to close no more and no less that 465 public libraries, arguing the same reasons. In fact the budget of the Arts Council for matters relating to small museums, archives and libraries has risen from 13 to a meager 3 million pounds.

Despite the mobilization of a large list of artists, writers, musicians and comedians to avoid catastrophe, budget constraints are not clear to end up “destroying our libraries to save the bankers’ bonuses”, to use the wise words of Mark Haddon.

It therefore seems a good time, not only to mobilize against such actions wherever they happen, but to discover the splendid Renaissance palace where the wonderful Ambrosiana library in Milan (http://www.ambrosiana.eu/cms/storia-205-205.htm) that was founded in 1609 by Cardinal Federico Borromeo, can claim to be the second public library in Europe, precleded only by the Bodleian Library at Oxford. Unlike the latter, however, the Biblioteca Ambrosiana also contains an amazing gallery which is closely associated with since its founding, as the institution of the Ambrosiana Library and Picture Gallery was created to provide cultural training for free to anyone who was endowed artistic or intellectual qualities.

Despite the splendid examples of classical and neoclassical statuary, including plaster copies of the Laocoon and the Mercy of Miguel Angel from the collection of Leone Leoni and a wonderful portrait of Antonio Canova, the most valuable element of the Pinacoteca is like its name suggests, its extraordinary collection of paintings.

Among those from the private collection of Cardinal Borromeo we highlight remarkable works such as the Adoration of the Magi and Portrait of a Man by Tiziano, Rafael’s carton for The School of Athens, the fruit basket by Caravaggio or the Rest on the Flight to Egypt by Jacopo Bassano, and a good representation of Flemish masters such as Jan Brueghel and Paul Bril.

In addition, from other collections, the museum also has a Leonardo and the Botticelli’s Madonna del Padiglione and the famous Penitent Magdalene by Guido Reni and two paintings by Giandomenico Tiepolo.

Also, among other gems, in the Library you can admire the Atlantic Codex by Leonardo and copies of books of Virgil and Aristotle noted by Petrarch and Boccaccio respectively based.

Paul Oilzum

Drop by this fascinating place when you rent apartments in Milan This will help you appreciate a little more the love for writing and reading.

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Translated by: Maria
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