Song21. Italian Contemporary Art Everywhere is a publicly commissioned project to support the production of contemporary works of art by Italian artists, with a special section dedicated to Dante Alighieri.
The initiative is sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) - Directorate General for the Promotion of the Country System and by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism (MiBACT) - Directorate General for Contemporary Creativity, in line with the integrated promotion plan "Vivere ALL'italiana".
Cantica21 aims to promote research and practice on contemporary visual arts, supporting the conception of projects and their implementation, with the primary objective of enhancing the creative skills and work of Italian artists, particularly promoting their relaunch on international markets through the Italian Cultural Institutes and the diplomatic-consular network .“With the Covid emergency we have witnessed the sudden closure of places of culture and the drop in tourist attendance and the cancellation or postponement of major events. Cura Italia and the Relaunch Decree have allocated resources for culture and a Fund has also been established for the promotion of our artistic and cultural heritage abroad. In a few months, the MAECI has developed a package of dozens of initiatives, committing resources for 5,5 million euros, to which the projects proposed by the network of offices abroad for the coming months will soon be added. Among the projects aimed at relaunching and spreading Italian creativity on the international scene is Cantica21, an initiative born from the joint efforts of the Farnesina and MiBACT. Thanks to her, between 2021 and 2022 Italian works and projects will be the protagonists of a worldwide exhibition on contemporary art in our country, which will be realized thanks to the work of our Embassies, Consulates and Italian Cultural Institutes: a exhibition project capable of showing the international public the best products of national creativity, supporting the narration abroad of a dynamic and original Italy, to mark the importance of culture for the relaunch of our country system with the great contribution of art" - he claims Marina Sereni, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in charge of promoting the Italian language and culture abroad.
With Cantica21, institutions and artists become part of the same community that believes in art and considers it a fundamental tool for interpreting the contemporary world, and offering an unprecedented look at today's Italy. The aim of the project is to convey an authentic image of the country, building a new and stronger narrative of Italy abroad, through themes and values linked to the contemporary. This initiative also arises in the aftermath of the health emergency caused by the COVID-19 epidemic, as a measure of support for visual artists.
The Cantica21 Notice is aimed at artists who become ambassadors of the state of Italian visual art, demonstrating its ferment and vitality. Their unpublished works will be exhibited in one large art exhibition which will take place in the Italian Cultural Institutes, in the Italian Embassies and Consulates around the world. A special section of the Notice will be dedicated – on the occasion of the celebrations for the seventh centenary of his death – to the figure of Dante Alighieri, a visionary poet who knew how to revolutionize the art and language of his time and who, still today, is capable of influence the way we think and make art.
And it is precisely to the Poet that the visual identity of Cantica21 is linked, curated by the Milanese creative studio Leftloft. The project name refers to the Comedy and to a choral movement that from Italy spreads throughout the world; this trend is rendered contemporary by the hypnotic alternation of an expanding green and red circle.
Participation in the Notice is aimed at Italian artists or collectives and/or residing in Italy for the conception and production of unpublished works of contemporary art.
The Notice is divided into three distinct sections. The first is reserved for artists or collectives up to 35 years of age (also emerging); the second to artists or collectives over the age of 35; the third instead will select works (without restrictions regarding technique) dedicated to the figure of Dante Alighieri. You must present your application as described in the Notice downloadable from the site www.cantica21.it, by sending the requested documentation no later than 12.00 on 16 October 2020.
- For the section reserved for artists or collectives up to 35 years of age (including emerging ones) the amount is 5.000 euros for the acquisition of each project and 5.000 euros as a production bonus for a total of 10.000 euros
- For the section relating to artists or collectives over the age of 35, the amount is 10.000 euros for the acquisition of each project and 10.000 euros as a production bonus for a total of 20.000 euros
- For the section dedicated to the figure of Dante Alighieri (without restrictions regarding age and technique) the amount is 20.000 euros for the acquisition of each project and 20.000 euros as a production bonus for a total of 40.000 euros.
The commission will communicate the names of the selected artists in the month of November.
Wonderful