"AILES DE MOUETTE" / "SEAGULL WINGS"

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THE NATURE OF COINCIDENCES

Hande Eagle: Based in Milan, Cramum has been operating as a non-profit project aimed at supporting the best artists from Italy and the world since 2012. Can you please elaborate on the qualities that define an artist as `the best`? In a world with a population of over 7 billion people, how many artists can be defined as `the best`? In your criteria for excellence in the arts, where does sustainability sit? What are some of the challenges facing your projects?

Sabino Maria Frassà: I believe one must always have the courage to be selective. Given our world's vast population, it's crucial to reward those who put in the most effort. For years, Cramum has had a jury system, for its awards, where 50 people, without any compensation, independently vote for the works they deem excellent. The award is won not through discussion but mathematically: the first choice gets five points, the second gets two, and the third gets one. This system has its limitations, but it aims to allocate merit as objectively as possible. The alternative is a dangerous, well-meaning approach that leads to a broad distribution of resources, ultimately resulting in mediocrity.

Over the years, as director, I've strived to imprint my vision of art, taking responsibility not only for promoting young artists but also for scouting talents like model and presenter Elisa Mazzucchelli and glass artist Laura de Santillana. Although they had established careers, they were not well-known to the general public. One of the significant challenges is not only supporting young artists but also understanding how to sustain an artist's career into maturity, in a world where we work until the age of 80 and there is a significant generational gap. Young artists are often given many opportunities through numerous awards, while artists over 60 are often overlooked.

Unfortunately, independence has its cost. Cramum has always thrived on not being politically-driven, trendy, or superficial. However, this also poses a challenge in an art system where the market is not always meritocratic but driven by financial, relational, and social dynamics. Being a collector has become a trend and a status symbol. While this helps because art needs buyers, the risk is that purchases are guided not by an appreciation of the artwork itself but by how the artwork is perceived in one's social environment. This can nurture self-referential and non-meritocratic systems which ultimately do not promote the progress of artists, contemporary art, or societal thought.

The real challenge for our projects is to remain autonomous and financially sustainable, sometimes at the risk of going against the grain. The most important projects are not those that reflect our current times but those that present a vision for the future, even if this vision is debatable and not always realized. We must have the courage to embrace the future.

H.E: Let's talk a bit about “Ailes de Mouette” (Seagull Wings) which you co-curated with Stéphane Gaillard. There's much more than meets the eye to this exhibition. Morella’s work seems to combine together numerous important anniversaries: Immanuel Kant’s 300th birth and 220th death anniversaries, 200th year of the invention of the Braille alphabet by Louis Braille, 2024 Paris Olympics marking the 130th year of Baron Pierre de Coubertin founding the International Olympic Committee, 10th anniversary of the re-publication of Richard Bach’s best-selling novella Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Is all of this being united under one exhibition a coincidence? In particular, the connections Fulvio Morella draws with Kant's Critique of Practical Reasons (1788).

S.M.F: Morella would say that the enigmatic messages of the universe can be found in a starry night sky. Beyond this happy coincidence, Kant often appears as a reference in Morella's art, even if the stars above us, are probably more my interpretation than the artist's. The German philosopher holds a special place for me. I hope it all comes together, perhaps this convergence is the strength of this special project. We presented a medal dedicated to the 2024 Olympics accompanied by fewer than ten works and had the opportunity to exhibit it in a foreign country during a complex time for France. We didn't know anyone at INJA before this project. It was accepted by Stéphane Gaillard, INJA's courageous director, who received the email we sent to the institute's generic address, became passionate about the project and wanted to meet us. He believed in us, and here we are. So perhaps, as you say, it truly is a coincidence. We may not understand its meaning yet, but we hope to soon, thanks to the success I personally wish for Morella and our project. 

H.E: The narrative of “Ailes de Mouette” is also based on brotherhood and inclusion, yet in all the aspects it has chosen to highlight, some could consider it a highly Eurocentric homage (particularly during a time when Europe’s unity is being challenged by right-wing populist movements). In the past and today’s world `brotherhood` is a word that has been pulled and stretched in different directions by political and religious campaigns and organisations across the world. Which brotherhood are you referring to in particular? Also, the Olympic Games are the leading international sporting events. Though, Morella’s work seems to emphasise (except the fact that his work is on show in collaboration with Yan Pei-Ming) Western thought and modus operandi. Any comments?

S.M.F: I don't believe that the medal represents a Western narrative. On the contrary, it speaks of universal brotherhood where differences don't exist, but the difference lies in the eye of the beholder or, as Morella would say, in the perception of the other. Not seeing the limit or diversity in others does not mean flattening into a world without differences, which was the true illusion of Western globalization. This work speaks of seeing ourselves as both limited and infinite. Morella's work forces collaboration among people who, with their own limits and infinities, complete each other. To understand one of his works, not even a blind person reading the Braille can fully grasp it alone. It requires the combined efforts of both blind and sighted people. Only together can they achieve a complete understanding of reality, otherwise, it's impossible.

Competition, part of the human survival instinct, is softened by Kant's idea of a categorical imperative. Competing does not mean prevailing over others but demonstrating, in a fair manner, like the Olympic Games, where there are no cheats or underhanded tactics. The true athlete or artist is the one who surpasses their own limits for the sake of it, like the famous Ulysses who voyaged beyond the Pillars of Hercules, even if at times they have to pay dearly for it.

Regarding the Chinese master Yan Pei-Ming, it was a great honour to have his work in the exhibition. We must reflect on the role of previous generations, as highlighted by this magnificent painting dedicated to the artist's blind uncle. Caring for those in more difficult situations is not charity but what makes us human. This is my vision of universal humanism, which differentiates us from animals. Yet, in my personal opinion, we often see more compassion among animals than among humans.