In the world of ecology, an ecotone is a transitional area where two different ecosystems meet, mix and merge. The effect of this mix is an increase in biodiversity, as well as the density and uniqueness of organisms, and the mutual influence between the two ecosystems is called the “edge effect”.
This is the perfect metaphor of what is happening throughout society as it pertains to our perceptions and ideas of identity. While the tension between localism and globalization, between a virtual existence without borders or frontiers and an increasingly fragmented social and political reality is radicalized, the artistic practice is increasingly becoming a place and space to reflect on the concept of belonging and its varying definitions.
54 Soldati
MARSÈLL PRESENTS THE EDGE EFFECT
AN EXPLORATION OF CULTURAL COLLABORATION
REDEFINING CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN IDENTITY
The artists on display, each in their own way, showcase many variations of contemporary Italian identity. Some do it from an exquisitely biographical point of view, others through a visual dialogue, while others write their stories by way of an exploration of fashion or digital art. All however, through their work, manage to bring to life a new idea of what it means to be Italian: a fluid idea in constant change, distant from hollywood stereotypes or standardizations, creating new dialogue and challenging the idea of tradition. As exhibiting artist Andy Picci says in one of his pieces on display “the future has already happened,” and it is simply now shown to us.
Motivational Poster – Future, 2021
Birds of a Feather
It is a version of the future that everyone tries to articulate, using different tools and angles. Karim El Maktafi, Alba Zari, Vashish Soobah, Marzio Emilio Villa and Kelly Costigliolo, for example, give glimpses and re-interpretations of family history and everyday life. Sam Gregg with Riccardo Maria Chiacchio, and Jon Emmony for Del Core choose an indirect perspective which passes from the language of fashion and bending it in a very personal way. Kamilia Kard and Karol Sudolski lay bare the paradoxes of our digital projections, and Elena Cremona, Isabelle Landicho and Rachele Maistrello demonstrate how moving collaboration between cultures can be when done correctly.
Woman as a Temple Courtesy Metronom
These works, ranging from commissions to personal research, tell stories that are very common, and yet very neglected by a country that constantly looks away – and too often behind it to the parts of history that it selectively chooses to acknowledge. Yet, in these images and in these works a new idea of community, and a new definition of home is very close in certain passages and renderings close enough for us to reach out and touch them.
Del Core Collection Zero, 2021
Creative Direction — Lane & Associates
The Edge Effect will be on display at Marsèll till 26 November 2021
On show:
Kelly Costigliolo
Elena Cremona + Isabelle Landicho Karim El Maktafi
Jon Emmony x Del Core
Sam Gregg + Riccardo Maria Chiacchio Kamilia Kard
Rachele Maistrello
Andy Picci
Vashish Soobah
Karol Sudolski
Marzio Emilio Villa
Alba Zari
45°19’N 9°30’E
Chiara Bardelli Nonino
Chiara Bardelli Nonino is the Visual Editor of Vogue Italia and L’Uomo Vogue, the editor of Vogue.it Photography section and a curator for the Photo Vogue Festival, where fashion is explored from a socio-political point of view. With a focus on contemporary photography and visual literacy, she also works on independent editorial and curatorial projects and juries.
Jordan Anderson
Born and raised in Kingston Jamaica, Jordan Anderson is a creative director & a fashion and culture journalist who is currently based in Milan. His work often magnifies & explores political themes in and outside the fashion industry including race, gender, identity & brand and cultural ethics. He is the founder of My Queer Blackness, My Black Queerness (MQBMBQ) , which is an online platform which explores Black Queer identity through fashion, music, art and all other creative forms. Anderson is editor- at-large of nss magazine and a contributor to a variety of publications including Document Journal, A Magazine Curated By, Vogue Italia among others.
All Of Her Oceans II
Gao Yue #1 (1998-1999?), c-print, 50 x 70 cm, 2019
Marsèll
Marsèll was founded in 2001 as the expression of a new craft culture. Shoes are the focus of a line of research devoted to pushing the boundaries of tradition, within the counterculture deconstruction movement. An exercise in pure creativity: a sketch is transformed into an accessory through the skillful and intelligent shaping of materials. The objective is the creation of timeless and iconic objects that speak to those unwilling to be bound by a specific genre.
With intimate knowledge of the best raw materials, an eye for balancing different elements, and direct control over production, Marsèll has established its excellence worldwide. The brand’s character is defined by the forms and finishes of its products – contrasting shades, raw cuts, different textures -, all created in the in-house atelier. The use of innovative techniques alongside methods almost lost to memory results in unique nonindustrial objects, original and informal in both look and substance. Every piece is strictly handmade by the expert men and women at the Marsèll workshop in the Riviera del Brenta Area, near Venice, Italy.Knowledge and creativity are central to the brand’s values and, unsurprisingly, Marsèll has actively supported young artists since it was established, through Marsèlleria, a multidisciplinary exhibition space that has a core role within the brand communication strategy. For over a decade, the non-profit project has produced exhibitions, performances, and different art ventures, honouring the utmost freedom of expression in its authenticity.
