ApertumTable: artist-designed tablecloths invite free meals for homeless in Rome
On January 29, 2025, at Rome's restaurant Il Simposio, the event ApertumTable will offer free meals to homeless people using artist-designed tablecloths by Maurizio Orrico and Jan Fabre. Curated by Giacinto di Pietrantonio, the project extends Orrico's earlier initiative La Tavola di cartone (2019), which provided over 20,000 meals in Milan with City Angels and Slow Food. Orrico's cardboard works combine aesthetic and ethical content, while Fabre's blue tablecloths bear phrases like "Indifference Undermines All Beauty" and "The Autonomy of the Artist. Breaking One’s Own Laws and Rules." The event aims to create a network of solidarity among Roman restaurateurs, following the Milan model.
Key facts
- Event ApertumTable takes place January 29, 2025 at Il Simposio in Rome.
- Artists Maurizio Orrico and Jan Fabre created tablecloths for the event.
- Free meals are served to homeless people via City Angels Roma and Slow Food.
- Project curated by Giacinto di Pietrantonio.
- Orrico's earlier La Tavola di cartone (2019) in Milan provided over 20,000 meals.
- Fabre's tablecloths feature phrases about indifference and artistic autonomy.
- Orrico uses cardboard as a material symbolizing protection and comfort.
- Initiative seeks to expand to other Roman restaurants.
Entities
Artists
- Maurizio Orrico
- Jan Fabre
- Vittorio Sgarbi
- Giacinto di Pietrantonio
Institutions
- City Angels
- City Angels Roma
- Slow Food
- Slow Food Milano
- Il Simposio
- L'Antro della Sibilla
- Cascina Nascosta
- Corvasce Design
- Artribune
Locations
- Rome
- Rome, Italy
- Milan
- Milan, Italy
- Cosenza
- Anversa
- Piazza Cavour, 16, Rome