Laboratorio Saccardi is a group of four artists living and working in Palermo (Sicily) whose work is now shown at the 9th Shanghai Biennial (on until March 31st 2013). The work at the Biennial is part of a project whose aim is to get rid of mafia, its injustice and brutality. Members of Laboratorio Saccardi are: Vincenzo Profeta, Marco Leone Barone, Giuseppe Borgia, Toti Folisi. One of the works mentioned in the interview is “Carretto Siciliano Antimafia” (Sicilan Anti-Mafia Cart) made in 2010. This is a traditional Sicilian Cart where the artists painted the Anti-Mafia heroes, such as Leonardo Sciascia, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, and represented the most tragic events of the history of Sicily. In contrast to the Tonalities of traditional carts, which are usually colorful and bright, the Saccardi Laboratory painted their cart in black and white to highlight the tragedy of the represented stories. This work resulted from a workshop held at the Primary school “Padre Cataldi” in Terassini (Palermo). With their work, Laboratorio Saccardi intends to ridicule and mock the intellectual élite and the star-system of the art world. With their debunking and ludic language, they manage to use different medias from painting to video and visual poems.
This Skype conversation with Laboratorio Saccardi was held in Novembre 2013.
Interview and video editing Susanna Ciani Seren.