DEFAULT
Masterclass in Residence on art, cities and regeneration
Lecce, Italy
21st-30th September 2011

Press Conference Wednesday 21st September 2011, h. 12.00
at Manifatture Knos, Lecce
DEFAULT Masterclass is an international cultural and artistic residence hosted in Lecce, Southern Italy.
During ten days, twenty selected artists will discuss with curators, artists, cultural producers, transnational partners and local audience about some key questions of our (austere) time: how to interact within a wider governmental policy concerning urban regeneration? How to tackle the increasingly politicised stakes that underpin cultural inquiry on urban centres’ and neighbourhoods’ revitalisation?
Do artists, curators, art managers and policy makers have to default to “art and regeneration practices” which are no longer feasible yet still entrenched in cultural structures because there is no other alternative given?
The works will take places in several regenerated spaces in the city of Lecce.
Among the guests and invited lecturers: Lewis Biggs (Biennial of Liverpool), Celine Condorelli (artist), Hannah Conroy (curator, AGM), Alfredo Cramerotti (curator, AGM and QUAD), Julia Draganovic (No Longer Empty), Ana Hoffner (artist), Andrea Lissoni (Xing and Hangar Bicocca), Paolo Mele (Ramdom), Gregor Neuerer (artist), Filipa Ramos ((curator and art critic), Andrei Siclodi (Künstlerhaus Büchsenhausen), Yesomi Umolu (curator, AGM) and Pietro Gaglianò (art critic).
Complete guests’ bios: http://ramdom.net/it/2011/08/default-introduces-its-guest/
Artists were asked to present a project on the topic of “shared memory” and renewed spaces. An international committee of art professionals has selected 10 international and 10 Italian artists (7 from Apulia region) to participate in the residence.
The selected artists are:
Rachela Abbate (DEU), Heba Amin (EGY), Maria Rebecca Ballestra (ITA), Bean (UK), Alberto Borea (PE), Stefano Cagol (ITA), Natascha Hagenbeek (NL), Emma Houlihan (EIRE), Lucia Leuci (ITA), Tonka Malekovic (HRV), Simone Massafra (ITA), Anthony McInneny (AUS), Marcus Owens (USA), Giuseppe Pansa (ITA), Serena Porrati (ITA), Rosario Montero Prieto (UK), Sergio Racanati (ITA), Alessia Rollo (ITA), Tatiana Villani (ITA), Angela Zurlo (ITA).

Complete artists’ bios: http://ramdom.net/it/artists/
Images portfolio: http://db.tt/LvLDig1

Off Programme
The programme of workshops, lectures and panels will be enriched by several fringe events. Among these, D-Day: Default’s Party and Artlab 2011 closing event which will take place on 24th September, at Archiviazioni. The scenery will be occasion for site-specific installations and audiovisual experiences investigating the topics of mobility and border. The indoor and outdoor spaces will host artist Devrim Kadirbeyoğlu’s first italian solo exhibition “Who draws the line?” (produced by Ramdom and Archiviazioni, curated by Giusy Checola), the site-specific installation by artist Luca Coclite and live media by Gianluca De Rubertis (Il Genio) and Alberto Piccinni, following DJ Sonda. Location: Archiviazioni.
The 25th September, h.18.30, Default will open its doors to the everyone with “Apertif in residence”: a meeting and debate forum hosting cultural and art organisations, Default’s artists and guests. Location: Liberrima.
The 22nd September, h.18.00, public panel entitled “Paesaggio con figura. Arte, sfera pubblica e trasformazione sociale”. Intro by: Gabi Scardi. Moderator: Caterina Seia. Participants: Andrea Bartoli, Maria Rebecca Ballestra (Ramdom), Ilaria Oliva, Giusy Checola (Café Musagetes). Location: Liberrima.

The 30th September exhibition The Wall (archives) # 4, a project by Pietro Gaglianò in collaboration with Archiviazioni. Location: Archiviazioni.

Other initiatives, events are still be planning, details delivered by Ramdom (www.ramdom.net)

ORGANISERS

DEFAULT is organised by RAMDOM Association (Lecce) in the frame of the project “Memorable Arts” and it is curated.
The main partners of the project are: Associazione Sud-Est - Manifatture Knos (ITA); AGM – Annual General Meeting Culture (Nottingham, UK); Künstlerhaus Büchsenhausen (Innsbruck, Austria); Bjcem - Biennale dei Giovani Artisti dell’Europa e del Mediterraneo; Fondazione Fitzcarraldo (Torino); Archiviazioni (Lecce)
With the support of: Vessel (Bari); Arci Puglia; Officine creative; Comune di Lecce, Lupiae Servizi, ANFITEATRO Lab.
DEFAULT Masterclass is financed by Regione Puglia, Principi Attivi 2010 – Giovani Idee per una Puglia Migliore, in the project frame of “Memorable Arts”.
Ramdom Association
c/o Manifatture Knos, Via Vecchia Frigole 36, 73100 Lecce
Paolo Mele - President
info@ramdom.net - Ph. +39 3207061409 - www.ramdom.net

Press Office - Elena Girelli - press@ramdom.net - Ph. +39 349 0996114