Art Action – Ecce Dominus TAKE A STEP

with Margherita Abbozzo, Roberto Agnoletti, Bianca Arion, Stefano Berni,
Claudio Cerretelli, Francesca di Ciaula, Riccardo Farinelli, Anna Granata,
Massimo Innocenti, Sandra Landi, Federica Marri, Stefanie Oberneder,
Alessandro Pagnini, Giulia Ponziani, Roberto Pupi, Leonardo Rindi, Caterina Sbrana, Luka Sposato,Giovanna Tomassucci, Alketa Vako, Margherita Verdi

and Reading of the participants’ texts

Murate Art District
Firenze, Piazza delle Murate,
Sala Ketty La Rocca
a cura di
Laura Monaldi

testo di Laura Monaldi
Art has the power to transform society, to stimulate reflection, to push for change and to make significant steps forward, opening new perspectives and points of view on clear horizons far from the nebulous obfuscation of preconceptions and the static nature of common sense. Art has the power to create fertile ground for progress not only cultural but also civil and social, as a spokesperson for change, positive change, for the turning of a historical page and the leap forward, since in every era it is necessary to “take a step”, a deviation from the norm, to start the transformation and move those consciences that have been lying, for too long now, on sterile and arid lands.
Part of the larger artistic project “Declinazione Femminile/Maschile” for the Women Visual Artists Database, “Ecce Dominus TAKE A STEP” aims to explore and stimulate profound questions on gender stereotypes, on the concept of being male with “ECCE DOMINUS” and being female with “ECCE DOMINA”. The artistic action is conceived as an integral part of a series of artistic expressions aimed at exploring the facets and perceptions related to gender.
The project takes inspiration from the Latin root “Domus”, a feminine noun that originally refers to concepts such as home, family, birthplace and school.
From this root, “Domina” and “Dominus” derive, metaphors of a common origin.The intent is to explore how these labels influence the current understanding and perception of gender roles and the stereotypes associated with them.
“Ecce Dominus TAKE A STEP” is configured as a complex and constantly evolving project that, through artistic expression, lays the foundations of a critical look at the construction of genders and their roles in contemporary society. Through active participation, research and sharing, the project aims to promote an inclusive and reflective dialogue on gender identity in various contexts, constituting a network of ideals, perspectives and points of view, subjective and scientific, critical and original, aimed at not stopping but taking steps, whether small or giant.
“Take a Step” as an exploratory and experiential laboratory on being a “dominus” and on relationships with the “dominus” that, through language and symbolic objectivity, immerses itself in the complex dynamics of gender and creates roots in the various collective perceptions of the role of gender and stereotypes, to then evolve into a critical awareness of society, on the expectations and prejudices of each person.
“Take a Step” is an invitation to explore one of the most crucial themes of current events through a collective experience of artistic creation: encouraging critical reflection, underlining the importance of taking significant steps towards a more egalitarian future.
“Take a Step” is a moment of research and sharing, an artistic action, a collective commitment to move towards a future in which positive change is not just a goal but a tangible reality.
Every “step” taken, even metaphorically through Art Action, represents a significant contribution towards a tomorrow free of distinctions, prejudices and clichés: a more aware tomorrow, as well as inclined to dialogue and constructive comparison.
The persons invited to the Art Action will contribute to the reflection with a small object or a small work of art, as a significant symbol of being “dominus”, enriching the gesture with a personal text, connected to the choice of the object: a thought to focus the becoming around the role and the “being” of gender and tell the necessary step forward.
The audience will be involved through active participation, encouraged to share their reflections and experiences on gender perception, as part of a broader dialogue on gender representation in everyday life and in contemporary culture.
The Art Action will become an Art Video curated by Laura VdB Facchini that together with the various art videos that will be created in the various editions of Ecce Domina and Ecce Dominus will form a mapping that will highlight the complexity of gender stereotypes.