Le cose in pericolo (A, B, C, D, E…)
Le cose in pericolo (A, B, C, D, E, …) is a sound installation in the space before the basilica of San Celso1. The work is dedicated to what is on the verge of becoming extinct in our world and five groups of primary school children read out lists in an unintelligible language that differs with each word. The words illustrate what is about to vanish: languages, tribes and geographical locations around the world. This work was inspired by a significant encounter between the artist and the poetry of Simona Menicocci, her poem Glossopetrae2 in particular. As the name says, we are faced with tongue stones, unknown words. Faced with what we do not know despite all the means availed of and the unknown is hugely vaster than the known: “[…] rumai, sahaptin, saisiyat, sak (Bangladesh), sake, sakurabiat, salas, sáliba, sām, samei, samosa […]”. It is like a mantra, a pitting of words.
Everything is precarious and vulnerable, as is our existence.
It is like hearing someone recite the passing of time. Everything is in danger, nature, humans and words, and the artist understands the meaning of the demise, in all its distressing obviousness.
The result is cacophonous and disorienting. You do not know where the voices are coming from and there are delays in transmission. Those listening feel overwhelmed by meaningless words yet… although much of what is conveyed to us every day is incomprehensible we continue to go forward pretending to understand.
Today’s human beings live in a time of words and images that tend to confuse us and do not help us disentangle ourselves. We are swamped by the folly of inane communication.
Angela Madesani
40” 50’ 2 sound mix, set outside the Basilica of San Celso, chorus of 110 voices formed of pupils of the Istituto Armando Diaz and Istituto Antonio Scarpa in Milan.