PRODUCED BY: LA GALLERIA NAZIONALE, ROME
Grafts is a botanical exercise rooted in the dialectical relationship between history, migratory processes and the impact of human action on nature. Rejection and acceptance are fundamental concepts in the formulation of the exercise.
A garden or landscaped area is the place where the exercise is carried out. First of all, one or several plant species are chosen to. identify the territory where the project is carried out and that are susceptible to grafting. Secondly, plant species are selected to identify the place of origin of the three most numerous migrant communities settled in that territory. Finally, the foreign species will be grafted onto the local species to follow the subsequent biological process; so that we will foreseeably observe how some of the grafts prosper and others fail.
Grafts is a botanical exercise rooted in the dialectical relationship between history, migratory processes and the impact of human action on nature. Rejection and acceptance are fundamental concepts in the formulation of the exercise.
A garden or landscaped area is the place where the exercise is carried out. First of all, one or several plant species are chosen to. identify the territory where the project is carried out and that are susceptible to grafting. Secondly, plant species are selected to identify the place of origin of the three most numerous migrant communities settled in that territory. Finally, the foreign species will be grafted onto the local species to follow the subsequent biological process; so that we will foreseeably observe how some of the grafts prosper and others fail.
The project is currently being realized in Rome under the auspices of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea. The trees chosen to represent the city are the fig tree and the vine. The former is linked to the myth of Romulus and Remus and, consequently, to the birth of the city. In fact, there are graphic testimonies from Ancient Rome in which the fig tree - ficus ruminalis - appears next to Romulus and Remus and the Capitoline she-wolf. For its part, the vine has been chosen for its hedonistic character and its relationship with Bacchus.
To date, these plants have been planted in three sites: the Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica, Palazzo Barberini and the Canonica Museum. The archaeological site of Ostia Antica represents the culture of Ancient Rome; a place of arrival of people and goods from many places that could be considered the port of the city of Rome. The Palazzo Barberini has a historic garden with topaz elements and is a good representation of the baroque, Rome being an eminently baroque city. Finally, the Museo Canonica has a small garden and is located in Villa Borghese, an emblematic park of the city where many migrant communities gather, including the Romanian, Filipino and Bangladeshi, who are, in that order, the most numerous in the city. After planting the trees, grafting has been carried out with the species representing the migrant communities: Victoria Vine (Romania), Ficus Benjamina (Philippines) and Ficus Elastica (Bangladesh). The evolution of the process is currently being monitored.
To complement the project, interviews were conducted with three representatives of the three migrant communities mentioned as well as with experts in the field both from a scientific and sociological point of view, as well as from the perspective of art history: Daniele Haver (gardener, in charge of the planting) Gerardo Fernández Medina (agronomist, in charge of the grafting), Oana Boşca-Mălin (representative of the Romanian community), Charito Basa (representative of the Filipino community), Rahman Safiquor (representative of the Bangladeshi community), as well as Francesca Cappelletti (director of Galleria Borghese), Costantino D'Orazio (Art Historian and art critic connected with Villa Borghese) and Federica Papi (curator of the Capitoline Museums.)
A documentary film is currently being edited to give an account of the whole process.
Ostia Antica: Ficus Carica planting process and grafting of Ficus Elastica and Ficus Benjamina. |
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Museo Canonica, Villa Borghese: Grafting process of a Victoria vine on a Malvasia Puntinata vine |
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Palazzo Barberini: Planting process of Ficus Carica and Malvasia Puntinata vines and grafting of a Victoria vine and Ficus Elastica and Ficus Benjamina. |
ENTERVIEWEES
Charito Basa.
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Rahman Safiquor.
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Oana Boşca-Mălin. Vice-Director of the Romanian Academy in Rome.
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Technical/Scientific Team
Flavio Tarquini (botanist, Botanical Garden in Rome / professor, Università La Sapienza, Roma)
Valentino Casolo (botanist / professor, Università di Udine)
Daniele Haver (gardener)
Michael Haver (gardener)
Gerardo Fernández Medina (agronomist)
Documentation Team
Daniele Bracci (Camera Operator and Assistant Editor)
Emanuele Basso (amera Operator)
Roberto Ostuni (Camera Operator)
Mario Daniele Alonzo (Photographer)
Andrea Pau (Photographer)
Andrea Tolstoy D'Oria (Dron Operator)
Marco Tricarico (Dron Operator)
Nils Astrologo (Dron Operator)
Academic Team
Antonello Tolve (Curator and Art Historian)
Carmelo Russo (Anthropologist-Professor, Università La Sapienza, Roma)
Daniela De Leo (Università La Sapienza)
Francesco Pompeo Francesco Pompeo (Professor, Università Roma Tre)
Representatives of migrant communities
Oana Bosca-Malin Oana Boşca-Mălin (Deputy Director of the Academy of Romania / Representative of the Romanian community)
Charito Basa (Representative of the Philippines)
Safiquor Rahman (Representative of Bangladesh)
Galleria Nazionale – Production and Communication
Ilaria Mulas (Production Coordinator, first phase)
Giulia Lotti (Production Coordinator, first and second phases)
Marta Ferrara (Production Coordinator, second phase)
Alessio Boi (Communication-Social Media)
Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica
Alessandro D'Alessio (Director)
Roberto Crivellaro (Technical Assistant)
Cinzia Morelli (Archaeological officer)
Alberto Tulli (Administrative Officer)
Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica - Barberini-Corsini - Palazzo Barberini
Flaminia Gennari Santori (Director)
Paola Guarnera (Promotion and Communication)
Dario Aureli (Technician)
Gabriele Mari (Technician)
Maura Garofalo (Gallery Assistant)
Elisabetta Guerriero (Gallery Assistant)
Maria Francesca Castaldo (Promotion and Communication)
Simona Baldi (Events)
Annarita Margani (Events)
Paola D'Alessio (Gallery Assistant)
Maria Bonmassar (Communication)
Museo Canonica
Carla Scicchitano (Responsible for Exhibitions and Cultural Events)
Costantino D'Orazio (Art Critic and Curator / Linked to the Museo Canonica)
Federica Pirani (Curator)
Gloria Raimondi (coordination and Updating of Exhibitions)
Isabella Toffoletti (Coordinator of Activities, External Relations, Communication and Special and Intersectoral Projects)
Antonio Plescia (Communication)
Galleria Borghese
Francesca Cappelletti (Director)
Gloria Antonelli (Officer)
Musei Capitolini
Claudio Parisi Presicce (Superintendent Capitolino at Beni Culturali)
Federica Papi (Curator Officer)
Flavio Tarquini (botanist, Botanical Garden in Rome / professor, Università La Sapienza, Roma)
Valentino Casolo (botanist / professor, Università di Udine)
Daniele Haver (gardener)
Michael Haver (gardener)
Gerardo Fernández Medina (agronomist)
Documentation Team
Daniele Bracci (Camera Operator and Assistant Editor)
Emanuele Basso (amera Operator)
Roberto Ostuni (Camera Operator)
Mario Daniele Alonzo (Photographer)
Andrea Pau (Photographer)
Andrea Tolstoy D'Oria (Dron Operator)
Marco Tricarico (Dron Operator)
Nils Astrologo (Dron Operator)
Academic Team
Antonello Tolve (Curator and Art Historian)
Carmelo Russo (Anthropologist-Professor, Università La Sapienza, Roma)
Daniela De Leo (Università La Sapienza)
Francesco Pompeo Francesco Pompeo (Professor, Università Roma Tre)
Representatives of migrant communities
Oana Bosca-Malin Oana Boşca-Mălin (Deputy Director of the Academy of Romania / Representative of the Romanian community)
Charito Basa (Representative of the Philippines)
Safiquor Rahman (Representative of Bangladesh)
Galleria Nazionale – Production and Communication
Ilaria Mulas (Production Coordinator, first phase)
Giulia Lotti (Production Coordinator, first and second phases)
Marta Ferrara (Production Coordinator, second phase)
Alessio Boi (Communication-Social Media)
Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica
Alessandro D'Alessio (Director)
Roberto Crivellaro (Technical Assistant)
Cinzia Morelli (Archaeological officer)
Alberto Tulli (Administrative Officer)
Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica - Barberini-Corsini - Palazzo Barberini
Flaminia Gennari Santori (Director)
Paola Guarnera (Promotion and Communication)
Dario Aureli (Technician)
Gabriele Mari (Technician)
Maura Garofalo (Gallery Assistant)
Elisabetta Guerriero (Gallery Assistant)
Maria Francesca Castaldo (Promotion and Communication)
Simona Baldi (Events)
Annarita Margani (Events)
Paola D'Alessio (Gallery Assistant)
Maria Bonmassar (Communication)
Museo Canonica
Carla Scicchitano (Responsible for Exhibitions and Cultural Events)
Costantino D'Orazio (Art Critic and Curator / Linked to the Museo Canonica)
Federica Pirani (Curator)
Gloria Raimondi (coordination and Updating of Exhibitions)
Isabella Toffoletti (Coordinator of Activities, External Relations, Communication and Special and Intersectoral Projects)
Antonio Plescia (Communication)
Galleria Borghese
Francesca Cappelletti (Director)
Gloria Antonelli (Officer)
Musei Capitolini
Claudio Parisi Presicce (Superintendent Capitolino at Beni Culturali)
Federica Papi (Curator Officer)