Lilia Angela Cavallo's 'Dizionario dei Gesti' Updates Munari's Gesture Lexicon
Lilia Angela Cavallo, a Bari-born artist born in 1988, has published 'Dizionario dei Gesti' (Iacobelli Editore, Rome, 2017), a visual catalog of 243 Italian gestures. The project originated during her university years when she met Carla, a Brazilian friend, and gave her Bruno Munari's 1958 'Supplemento al Dizionario di Italiano'. Through cross-cultural comparison, Cavallo realized the centrality of gestures in Italian communication. She photographed friends in spontaneous poses, titling and describing each gesture in Italian, English, and French. The book is divided into two sections: general gestures and 'other' gestures—those considered vulgar or offensive—included to acknowledge their common use. Cavallo's work, while inspired by Munari, evolves independently in graphic and conceptual terms. The pocket-sized volume (512 pages, €18) reflects her realization that she wanted to 'make books'.
Key facts
- Lilia Angela Cavallo published 'Dizionario dei Gesti' in 2017 with Iacobelli Editore.
- The book catalogs 243 Italian gestures through photography.
- Bruno Munari's 'Supplemento al Dizionario di Italiano' (1958) inspired the project.
- Cavallo met Carla, a Brazilian friend, during university; the book is dedicated to her.
- Gestures are described in Italian, English, and French.
- The volume includes a section on vulgar or offensive gestures.
- Cavallo is from Bari and was born in 1988.
- The book has 512 pages and costs €18.
Entities
Artists
- Lilia Angela Cavallo
- Bruno Munari
Institutions
- Iacobelli Editore
Locations
- Bari
- Italy
- Rome
- Brazil