Rita Casdia's 'Stangliro' Video Explores Social Homologation Through Clay Automata
Rita Casdia's 'Stangliro' is featured in the HUMANS project, curated by Giovanni Viceconte, which showcases video art and performances born from the isolation of Covid-19. Titled 'HUMANS. Video-ritratti della società contemporanea', the initiative consists of ten segments, highlighting themes such as Malessere and Lockdown. In her piece, Casdia employs clay automata to depict identical female characters communicating in a nonsensical language, delving into the tension between collective conformity and personal identity. Drawing inspiration from Fritz Lang's films, she utilizes stop-motion animation, a meticulous process that took a year and involved various collaborators. Born in 1977 in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto (ME), Casdia is a graduate of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo, focusing on Art and New Technologies. She perceives modern society as a 'society of automata' and has exhibited her work extensively.
Key facts
- Rita Casdia's video 'Stangliro' is part of the HUMANS project curated by Giovanni Viceconte.
- The HUMANS project includes ten installments: Malessere, Lockdown, Transiti, [In]esistenza, [S]Laccio, Stigma, Densità, Legami, Mankind, Scambio.
- Casdia uses small clay sculptures (automata) in stop-motion animation.
- The video features only female figures speaking an incomprehensible phonosymbolic language.
- Casdia was inspired by Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis' and 'M – Il mostro di Düsseldorf'.
- Casdia began using clay figures in 1999-2004 to replace her own body in performances.
- She graduated from Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo and specialized at Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera.
- Her work has been exhibited at Fondazione Pino Pascali, Fondazione Merz, and other venues.
- Casdia was born in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto (ME) in 1977 and lives in Milan.
- The project originated from the isolation of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Entities
Artists
- Rita Casdia
- Giovanni Viceconte
- Fritz Lang
- Carmelo Bene
- William Shakespeare
- Guido Gozzano
Institutions
- Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo
- Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera
- Fondazione Pino Pascali
- Fondazione Merz
- Palazzo Reale
- Museo della Permanente
- Galleria Nuvole
- Galleria Muratcentoventidue
- Artribune
Locations
- Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto
- Milano
- Palermo
- Polignano a Mare
- Torino
- Montreal
- Manizales
- Colombia
- Atene
- Venezia
- Bogotà
- Italia