Magazzino Italian Art, in collaboration with Artecinema and the Cold Spring Film Society, presented two drive-in movie screenings and the U.S. premieres of artist films this summer: Luca Vitone’s Romanistan on August 1 and Andrea Mastrovito’s I Am Not Legend on August 15. Both screenings started at 8:00 p.m. at Magazzino Italian Art.
Complying with social distancing guidelines, the drive-in theater was constructed adjacent to the museum building.
Tickets were $30 per car. All ticket proceeds benefitted RxART, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help children heal through the extraordinary power of visual art. To support RxART, click here.
Tickets were available via Eventbrite here. No tickets were sold at the door.
Magazzino partnered with Dolly’s to provide boxed meals, food, and beverages for the movie. Orders were ready the day-of the event. Orders for the August 1 screening ended on Wednesday, July 29 at 9:00 p.m. The ordering window for the August 15 screening began on August 2 and ended Wednesday, August 13 at 9:00 p.m.
Magazzino also screened Romanistan and I Am Not Legend online for a limited time, enabling audiences to watch from the comfort of their homes.
Below is more information on each artist and film:
Romanistan (2019)
Luca Vitone
August 1, 2020, 8:00 p.m.
Gates opened at 7:30 p.m. Guests arrived at the museum before 8:00 p.m.
Film available online here between 8 – 10 p.m.
Luca Vitone is known as an artist of places. Throughout his multidisciplinary career, which has incorporated painting, sculpture, photography, music, installation, and now film, he has investigated the interconnection between individuals and the locations they inhabit. In Romanistan, Vitone continues this inquiry with an in-depth investigation of the Romani people and their culture, which the artist has focused on since the 1990s. Since the Romani’s initial departure from India between the 8th and 14th centuries C.E., the population has dispersed in countries throughout the globe, with robust communities on every continent. United by language, culture and widespread persecution and marginalization across location and time, Vitone’s film presents interviews with leaders in the Romani community to reflect on their culture that exists without a homeland, without an army and without borders. Vitone recreates the storied migratory route of the Romani people in reverse, from Italy to India, harkening to a trip the artist made with his family. The film’s narrative unfolds through passages of roaming landscapes captured through this journey.
An interview with artist and filmmaker Luca Vitone about his career and process in creating Romanistan was released alongside the screening of the film at Magazzino. To watch the interview, click here.
About Luca Vitone
The work of Luca Vitone (b. Genova, Italy, 1964) has been shown in public and private spaces both in Italy and abroad, including MACRO (2020); Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, Roma (2019); Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci (2019); Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center, Moscow (2018); P.A.C., Milano (2017); Triennale di Milano (2015); Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, Berlin (2014); Fondazione Brodbeck, Catania (2013); Italian Pavilion and IILA Pavilion at 55th Venice Biennal (2013); Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt (2011); MAXXI, Rome (2010); Museo Riso, Palermo (2009); XIII Biennale Internazionale di Scultura di Carrara (2008); Museion, Bolzano (2008); Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, Roma (2005); Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci, Prato (2004); MAMCO, Genève (2003); 50th Venice Biennale, Venice (2003); National Centre for Contemporary Arts, Moscow (2002); PS1, New York (2000); Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome (2000), among others
I Am Not Legend (2020)
Andrea Mastrovito
August 15, 2020, 8:00 p.m.
Gates opened at 7:30 p.m. Guests arrived at the museum before 8:00 p.m.
Film available online here between 8 – 10 p.m.
Andrea Mastrovito’s new film I Am Not Legend builds on the artist’s interest in the genre of horror and his ongoing practice of recombining found elements from films, artworks, literature and music to enlightening results. Using George Romero’s cult classic, and unlicensed, film, Night of the Living Dead as a point of departure, Mastrovito developed a new screenplay composed entirely of quotes from famous films, books and other sources. Using his unique technique of drawing, painting, and physically ripping paper by hand, the artist augmented the film’s original frames to create a completely new story arc. His characters use the words and gestures of others to propel his narrative forward, which Mastrovito likens to how people communicate today via social media and memes-reusing and recycling quotes and images from other sources to comment on their own experiences.
I Am Not Legend investigates concepts of identity of our contemporary moment-advanced by the existential threat of zombies at the doorstep. This project is supported by the Italian Council (6th Edition, 2019) program to promote Italian contemporary art in the world by the Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity and Urban Regeneration of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism.
An interview with artist and filmmaker Andrea Mastrovito about his career and process in creating I Am Not Legend was released alongside the screening of the film.
Mastrovito’s masterful NYsferatu, a hand drawn animation of Nosferatu, was screened at Magazzino in 2017 and the museum was thrilled to host the world premiere of his new film project. Visitors can also view work by the artist in the new exhibition Homemade, which was on view through September 7, 2020.
About Andrea Mastrovito
Andrea Mastrovito (b. 1978, Bergamo, Italy) is a multimedia artist whose practice reconceptualizes painting and drawing, and occupies and confronts different audiences and communities through public performances and installations. Mastrovito has had solo exhibitions and screenings at institutions such as Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, Rome (2019); Kunsthalle Osnabruck, Osnabruck (2018); Belvedere 21, Wien (2018); Queens Museum, New York (2017); Magazzino Italian Art, Cold Spring, New York (2017); and Museo del Novecento, Milan (2011). His work has also been included in major exhibitions at the 15th Lyon Biennale (2019); MUDAM, Luxembourg (2017); MART, Rovereto (2013) Manchester Art Gallery (2012); Museum of Art and Design, New York (2009), among others.
About RxART
RxArt is a nonprofit organization with the mission of helping children heal through the extraordinary power of visual art by commissioning exceptional artists to transform children's hospital spaces into engaging and inspiring healing environments. RxART produces every project at no cost to the hospitals and every artist is provided with an honorarium and the chance to bring hope and comfort to children as they heal. www.rxart.net
About Artecinema
Artecinema is an international festival of films on contemporary art established in Naples in 1996, curated by curated by Laura Trisorio and awarded a medal from the President of the Republic of Italy. Each year the festival presents a selection of some thirty documentaries from all over the world about the most important artists, architects and photographers of the last fifty years.
Artecinema is one of the most anticipated events of the sector and provides an opportunity for a learning experience as well as social gathering and cultural exchange. www.artecinema.com
About Cold Spring Film Society
The Cold Spring Film Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer-run arts organization based in Cold Spring, NY dedicated to fostering good will, community fellowship and appreciation of the moving image arts by screening enjoyable films in local venues. Their annual outdoor Summer Film Series at Dockside Park provides an evening of free entertainment in the village’s unique outdoor spaces for people of all ages. In addition to their Summer Film Series, CSFS also programs an indoor Winter Film Series and partners with other local organizations like Boscobel House & Gardens, Hudson Valley Shakespeare, Butterfield Library and the Haldane schools to provide additional screenings and film enrichment programs throughout the year. For more information or if you’re interested in helping out at screenings, please visit coldspringfilm.org or check us out on facebook/coldspringfilm or twitter/coldspringfilm and instagram @coldspringfilm.