Rä di Martino’s video installation channels Carmelo Bene’s unfinished Dracula play
Rä di Martino, born in Rome in 1975, has developed a video installation titled 'Là dove muore, canta', drawing inspiration from Carmelo Bene’s incomplete piece 'Il vampiro'. This work is currently exhibited at Torre Matta in Otranto. The exhibition, which opened on September 2, 2022, was curated by Luigi De Luca and Brizia Minerva, with the attendance of Salomè, Bene’s daughter. Di Martino's research involved the Carmelo Bene archive at Convitto Palmieri in Lecce, particularly examining notebooks from 1981 that contained notes for a play that was never realized. The installation showcases seven video streams of a 3D reconstruction of Bene’s reading, narrated by Lino Musella and edited by Simone Pappalardo. Additionally, Di Martino has produced a photographic series and an artist’s book, set to be published by Humboldt Books this autumn.
Key facts
- Rä di Martino created video installation 'Là dove muore, canta'
- Work inspired by Carmelo Bene’s unfinished play 'Il vampiro' (Dracula)
- Exhibition at Torre Matta, Otranto, curated by Luigi De Luca and Brizia Minerva
- Opened September 2, 2022, with artist and Salomè Bene present
- Research based on Carmelo Bene archive at Convitto Palmieri, Lecce
- Two notebooks from 1981 with notes for the play
- Installation uses 3D Carmelo Bene reading, voiced by Lino Musella, music by Simone Pappalardo
- Photographic series uses re-photographed and gold-leaf-stitched prints
- Artist’s book forthcoming from Humboldt Books in autumn 2022
- Di Martino’s practice includes archival works like 'Open Trees', 'Play House', 'Fuori dai teatri', 'Authentic News of Invisible Things'
Entities
Artists
- Rä di Martino
- Carmelo Bene
- Lino Musella
- Simone Pappalardo
- Luigi De Luca
- Brizia Minerva
- Salomè Bene
- Cecilia Pavone
Institutions
- Convitto Palmieri
- Torre Matta
- Humboldt Books
- Galleria Bonomo
- Teatro Era di Pontedera
- Imperial War Museum
- Artribune
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Lecce
- Otranto
- Pontedera
- London
- United Kingdom