Fotografia Europea, Reggio Emilia: Lorenzo Tricoli. The Archive You Deserve (T.A.Y.D.)
«In some way you become political when you don’t have a chance to be poetic»
Lorenzo Tricoli
Lorenzo Tricoli, The Archive You Deserve T.A.Y.D., 2002-2017, logo, courtesy Lorenzo Tricoli Archive
To dive into Lorenzo Tricoli’s universe, and into the spirit of the open work The Archive You Deserve – T.A.Y.D., the author, a master of playful irreverence and politically incorrectness, guides us through some necessary premises:
1. Do not believe the news.
2. If you are not angry what kind of person are you? (Ken Loach)
3. People have the power. (Patti Smith)
4.The poor are always right. (Goffredo Parise)
Concerned with the tragicomic Italian history, with pain and human suffering, as well as the mysterious relationship between photography and words, Tricoli initiated a long and unprecedented research that developed into the archive-work The Archive You Deserve (T.A.Y.D.). Taking the form of an open-end archive, that accumulates, catalogues and remixes photographs, newspaper clippings, books, magazines and other documents of various nature that were collected over a period of several years, T.A.Y.D. is constantly evolving like an organism, while new material is added and reassembled in temporary installations or books. This archive is presented by the author with its very specific personality: “it is angry, it firmly believes in mankind and is compassionate”. However, “like the virtual archive of the Internet, it remains impalpable and evanescent”, representing “a delirious and ever-changing version of recent Italian history, based on actual documents”.
Lorenzo Tricoli, Bunga Bunga, 2014, courtesy Lorenzo Tricoli Archive
At the same time, The Archive You Deserve (T.A.Y.D.) is also a mother-work that generates various specific projects, some still unpublished, such as Bunga Bunga, Barricades Will Increase Your Happiness and (Other) Adventures of Pinocchio.
Lorenzo Tricoli, Barricades Will Increase Your Happiness, artist book and leporello from the project The Archive You Deserve T.A.Y.D., 2002-2017, courtesy Lorenzo Tricoli Archive
Lorenzo Tricoli‘s exhibition at Italy’s most important photography festival, Fotografia Europea, is the first since his sad passing away in February 2017 and presents his most subversive projects. The exhibition is curated by our platform Photocaptionist, directed by Federica Chiocchetti, in collaboration with the artist’s daughter, Mariasole Tricoli, Annalisa Brioschi and the head of the photographic archive of the Panizzi Library, Laura Gasparini.
Lorenzo Tricoli, Untitled, Self Portrait Behind Passepartout, year unknown, courtesy Lorenzo Tricoli Archive
Exhibition venue: Villa Zironi, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
INSTALLATION VIEWS coming soon! Meanwhile read our interview with Francesca Marani for Vogue Italia.
