Italian Women Artists Take Over Stockholm Streets with 'Language is a Virus'

During Sweden's soft lockdown, which kept bars and restaurants open but closed museums and galleries, the Italian Cultural Institute of Stockholm commissioned five Italian women artists to create a public exhibition titled 'Language is a virus', curated by Adriana Rispoli. The show, installed on advertising billboards (kulturtavlorna) across the city, explores language as a contagious and liberating force, referencing William Burroughs' phrase 'the most dangerous virus was language'. Participating artists include Francesca Grilli, Loredana Longo, Marzia Migliora, Rosy Rox, and Marinella Senatore. Their works range from Senatore's 'Stay woke' call to vigilance, to Rosy Rox's bitter humor depicting herself climbing over a crate labeled 'AGILE' (part of 'FRAGILE'), to Marzia Migliora's sarcastic 'Happy days' on a salt block from her installation 'Lo spettro di Malthus, la gabbia' at Serlachius Museums in Finland. Loredana Longo inscribes Ted Kennedy's 1960s quote 'The Hope still Lives and the Dream shall never die' on her 'Tappeti' series, previously shown at Artissima 2019. Francesca Grilli asks 'Can you transform the invisible into visible?', referencing a work from Saal Biennaal in Tallinn. Institute Director Maria Sica stated the goal is to communicate openly with Stockholm residents, reach new audiences, and demonstrate that art is not elitist, especially during the crisis. The exhibition runs until June 14, 2020.