OOPArt is a magazine conceived by creatives, designers, and artists in Emilia Romagna (Italy), born from an obsessive passion for images and materials; it is a container of spectacular images, all unpublished and of great communicative power.
No. 05 Archetype
The term archetype comes from ancient Latin archety̆ pum and indicates a beginning or original principle.
So, in its original meaning, an archetype is a first pattern, a first form, the matrix of a concept, text or icon.All human disciplines and knowledge have their archetype representing the first idea or primary symbol from which thought originates.
Certainly the latter is perhaps closest to the current usage of the term archetype, in fact it is often used to denote, especially in philosophy something, which precedes thought itself, while in psychology it is used to refer to the concept of an innate idea in reference to the human unconscious.
The contexts of use thus may be manifold, but despite this the underlying meaning, whether symbolic or literal, remains the same: the word archetype is used to indicate something that precedes, that is, to define that which is pre-existent to such a reality
No. 04 Memory
What are memories if not man’s desire to be immortal? The past becomes alive continuously with memories, longing for immortality.
The monuments and the commemorative plaques in urban and extra-urban areas and the gravestones in cemeteries are tangible signs of historical memories attempting to perpetuate the identity of the deceased.
In ancient Rome it was customary to bring back memories of decreased family members considered as protective minor household gods or lares, featuring a central role in identity and religious life.
Memories are steady past images that concur in helping us in knowing ourselves, they shape the vision of the world around us we gradually assemble since childhood, and contribute to building self confidence.
Memories are flashbacks of factual events, of locations, of actions, of images and objects. To remember is bringing back to life something or someone that does not exists anymore.
The act of remembering the past is essential both on a personal and on a collective level to make sense of the present.
No. 03 Freedom
Freedom is a feeling that vibrates in the air, it surfs the waves of the sea and resounds among the foliage of the trees.
In the union between heaven and earth, freedom shows its cosmic dimension, but in its impalpable flow, it looks for a pivot as a physical landing place from which to look at the outer reality and enjoy the inner stillness.
This dual nature of freedom affirms itself in the opposites and makes us reflect on it. Thus, in the magnitude, we take refuge in the intimate dimension, and among the innumerable possibilities of choices, true freedom is in the condition of doing without choice.
In the continuous alternation of these opposites, freedom expresses its real nature in words and gestures, in theatre and dance, thus creating social contexts where everyone looks for cultural and emotional identification to sign a sense of belonging because freedom needs to be experienced in the balance and limits of a shared living.
No. 02 Join
Join in the sense of joining together two or more things but also merging
more elements to create new aesthetics and narratives.
The investigated topic of the third issue of Oopart is the association of
different things. The issue explores subtle textures that combine past and
present objects, enhancing the rough mending or precious gold thread that repair ancient ceramics; it investigates serial collections of objects, which reveal narratives out of time and create new conceptual connections.
Human activity has always combined different activities, merging processes in scientific and creative fields aimed to research and discovery. Composing is in human nature and it has been expressed through the centuries with excellent sculputre handicrafts and nowadays with refined infographics and interactive links in the digital world of data visualization. We looked for a common thread, at the same time energy conductor, symbolic and poetic; a constellation of unconventional elements that manifest themselves showing a curious aesthetic in which the viewer is invited to rethink his relationship with the surrounding world.
The metaphor of the thread as a plot refers to the ancestral need to tell and communicate. In our language there are many metaphors presenting the image of the thread: the common thread of a speech, the guiding thread, the thread of fate, the magic thread, the visible and invisible thread… Moreover, the thread, through the art of weaving, constructs the texture of the fabric, of a film or of a book and not only; the thread builds the relationships, the plot of the world and so the becoming of life.
No. 01 Neolithic Revolution
The evolution of Homo sapiens has brought irreversible changes upon ecosystems.
First the taming of fire, a turning point of human evolution, allowing to ward off predators and to cook food.
A more significant change was brought by the Neolithic Revolution around 8,000 B.C. marked by the transition from a nomadic to a sedentary lifestyle. Upon realizing that crops had a certain growing timeframe, it became necessary to allow a ‘waiting’ period as well, with the conclusion that sedentary lifestyle and agriculture go hand in hand.
This major shift turned hunter-gatherers into farmers and cattle keepers. As a direct consequence there was an increase in the population; this increase pushed to improve the quality and quantity of crops and cattle.
The Neolithic Revolution implies more than the dawn of farming.
The new settler communities were the first step towards further development of evolved societies, with assigned ranks and powers, in other words hierarchical and political structures.
No. 00 Albion
ALBION is one of the ancient names for Great Britain: a mythical and highly evocative place known for its frequent literary references to
“perfidious Albion”.
Indeed, this pejorative phrase is used within the context of international relations diplomacy alluding to supposedly unscrupulous policies by monarchs of the United Kingdom.
Albion folk is patriotic, monarchical, multi-ethnic, ugly, overweight, and fashionable; the Albionics are open to the future but at the same time firmly rooted in their traditions; they have bizarre habits that often make the rest of the world raise its eyebrows.
For example, it is the only country where people drive on the right, totally convinced that’s the right way to drive. Points of view. However, unlike the French, British people are perfectly aware that they are not perfect with their quirks and peculiarities, especially British humour. British humour carries a strong element of satire and irony.
Jokes are told with an impassive face, while themes are often sarcastic. British people are distinguished by a sophisticated education that leaves non-space for arrogant or conceited attitudes, preferring self-irony and modesty.
British humour softens tones, bringing laughter to sad and embarrassing moments. At the end of the day, what might seem like hostile or rude behaviour to us is just a way of lightening the mood. Laughing at oneself at one’s weaknesses is a strength, same as making fun of life’s misfortunes and failures. We like this trait a lot here at OOPart.
Why OOPArt
OOPArt (acronym derived from the English “Out Of Place ARTifacts”) is a term coined by the American naturalist and cryptozoologist Ivan T. Sanderson to give a name to a category of objects that have a difficult historical location, representing an anachronism. OOPArt includes all those archaeological or paleontological finds that, according to common beliefs about the past, it is assumed they could not have existed in the era to which the initial dates refer.
Within OOPArt pages we can find amusing places, enigmatic objects, geological evidence, timeless artifacts, papyri, and indecipherable rhythms. We lustfully investigate nature and human events without taboos and preconceptions, we satiate our rebellious nature whiledaring “uncomfortable” topics with a glance free from prejudice. We cultivate interest in the interstitial spaces and common places, we are looking for wonder just outside the door of the house, but also in exotic places like (in order of importance):
Rivabella, Talamone, Ouagadougou, San Michele dei Mucchietti, Xanadu etc…Some of us are also obsessed with the Cybiont, externalized macro social body and nourishing matrix of our editorial staff. Our focus is made of architectural skin, surfaces, and textures. Under our lens they become important patterns, a witness of anthropological and social realities. We explore trash together with new baroque opulence, from absent colors to an essential symbolic universe.
Thus, through observation and investigation we attempt a process of objectification of myths and magic, unfolding the story through authentic images supported by hyper-texts, bibliographic sources and links to invite reflection on the content as a form of reasoning and the basis of a project.
So, activating mental processes is the unconcealed intention, like imagining on behalf of third parties starting from a “paleo-imaginary” from which everything derives, with caution and circumspection, we sift through themes and topics in search of design before design. We look at the world by focusing on unconscious design and, thus, we find that design is also where we do not look for it.
In the future we will discover a logic of thought that induces all of us in the theatrical privacy of our conscience, making us to desire eccentric notes of color, luminous and seductive surfaces, admirable objects, and artifacts that are always new and unpredictable.
OOPArt is a magazine conceived by creatives, designers, and artists in Emilia Romagna, born from an obsessive passion for images and materials; it is a container of spectacular images, all unpublished and of great communicative power.
The pages do not contain any text, only tags or links; each representation arises from a topic, or from research with a central theme declined in different solutions.
Our willingness is to create a periodic container, which shows suggestions and surreal images, both authentic and concrete.
A magazine which combines the crude reality of commercial photography together with research in the archives and the investigation of new materials.
A collective editorial staff able to outline its own planning with a specific narrative on witnesses, materials, and places. OOPArt is an accessible magazine, widely distributed, that can be uses as a working tool for those who need creative suggestions for various professional fields.
COLOPHON – ©OOPart
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Organizzazione e produzione:
Fabbrica del Sale s.r.l.
Via Giardini Sud, 136
41043 Formigine (MO) Italy
0536/1700229
Progetto grafico:
Three Digital -ARGO DESIGN
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Archivi immagini: Maiadgallery
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Produzione eventi e gestione sponsorship Giorgella Bridge allestimenti
Project manager / Art directorBitalo/Giuliano Ravazzini
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On the cover, Perfidious Albion digital graphics vector on canvas multisize @bitalo