Pino Boresta's desperate plea: crowdfunding for survival
In a heartfelt open letter on Artribune, Italian artist Pino Boresta recounts his long friendship with writer Claudio Morici, who in 2004 included Boresta in his anthology "Teoria e tecnica dell'artista di merda" (Theory and Technique of the Shitty Artist). Boresta, who calls himself an "artista morto de fame" (starving artist), launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kapipal to avoid eviction and support his family of five. He reflects on the failure of a planned collateral exhibition at the Venice Biennale, the erosion of state support for low-income families, and the changing meaning of friendship in the age of social media. Boresta defends his decision to seek help through art, rejecting accusations of pietism, and ends with a plea: "Help me if you can, I'm feeling down."
Key facts
- Pino Boresta launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kapipal (http://kapipal.com/projects/sos-sfratto) to avoid eviction.
- Claudio Morici included Boresta in his 2004 anthology 'Teoria e tecnica dell'artista di merda' (Casini editore).
- Boresta describes himself as an 'artista di merda' and 'artista morto de fame'.
- Boresta planned a collateral exhibition at the Venice Biennale with other 'shitty artists', but the project failed.
- Boresta underwent a TURP procedure in 2012 that left him sterile.
- Boresta has three children with excellent school results.
- Boresta criticizes the Italian state for cutting benefits and increasing housing costs for large low-income families.
- Boresta's crowdfunding goal is €6,000, with rewards including his 'smorfie adesive' (sticker grimaces).
Entities
Artists
- Pino Boresta
- Claudio Morici
- Philip K. Dick
Institutions
- Artribune
- Casini editore
- Kapipal
- Biennale di Venezia
Locations
- Roma
- Segni (Roma)
- Venezia
- Italia