Nitty Gritty Club: Public Art Project Merges Striptease and Politics in Venice
Simone Basani has initiated the Nitty Gritty Club, a public art endeavor in Venice that features striptease acts in two ex-communist social clubs—one located in Campo Santa Margherita and the other close to the Arsenale. This initiative includes participants from various organizations and universities, such as Iuav and Ca' Foscari, with curatorial oversight by Francesco Urbano Ragazzi. Basani highlights the varied audience and draws inspiration from Judith Butler's ideas in Precarious Life, focusing on collective political engagement. The project favors the free spread of images over their creation, citing both historical and contemporary figures like Spencer Tunick and Julie Bena. Nitty Gritty Club will continue after summer with a series of theoretical discussions.
Key facts
- Simone Basani is the creator of Nitty Gritty Club, a public art project in Venice.
- Performances take place in two former communist social clubs: one in Campo Santa Margherita and one near the Arsenale.
- The project involves universities Iuav and Ca' Foscari.
- Curatorial duo Francesco Urbano Ragazzi is observing the project.
- Basani references Judith Butler's Precarious Life to explain the political dimension.
- The project emphasizes uncontrolled proliferation of images over image production.
- Basani contrasts historical leftist liberation of desire with current leftist moralism.
- Nitty Gritty Club will resume after summer with a series of theoretical talks.
Entities
Artists
- Simone Basani
- Francesco Urbano Ragazzi
- Judith Butler
- Spencer Tunick
- Felix Gonzalez-Torres
- Sophie Calle
- Mark Morrisroe
- Julie Bena
- Agnieszka Ryszkiewicz
- Sabina Grasso
- Massimo Grimaldi
- Vanessa Beecroft
Institutions
- Iuav University of Venice
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice
- Artribune
- Teletorino
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Campo Santa Margherita
- Arsenale
- Paris