Besozzo, 1992. Australia Council Overseas Studio.
I used the time at the Australia Council Besozzo studio in 1992 to explore new media and to produce the costumes and video the performances that were to become the basis of ‘Viaggi’ 1993. By and large the everyday events that occurred around the villa became the subject of my work and were eventually expanded into the performative projects.
My constant usage of the camera as a visual diary and my recording of the day to day encounters as subject matter continued when I travelled to other parts of Italy and Europe. In this manner I produced a series of videos, which I began to refer to as my ‘found life’ series. At the time (1992) the video camera was not ubiquitous and seemed to act as an attractor to people who associated the camera with a professional not a domestic usage. I would begin filming and would just stay with the moment until, almost without fail, some small moment or vignette would unfold in front of the camera. At times when I did move the camera’s gaze I would find the accidental subjects would move themselves back into the camera’s field of vision. Sometimes the moments began ‘accidently’ and then shifted to something more of a collaborative nature, as in ‘Anche per te’, when the dancing gloves of a Rialto jeweller turned into a more complex recording of his daily activities, including his serenading the camera (karaoke-like) with his version of ‘Anche per te’. At other times the captured moments were less obvious to the subjects.
