There are some textile districts in Italy that developed in the Middle Ages also thanks to the presence of convents and monks: the Cistercian monks introduced for example wool production in the Follina area, in Veneto, Italy in the mid-12th century.
From 1123, the architectural complex of the Santa Maria di Lucedio Abbey, in the province of Vercelli, in Piedmont, was instead considered not just as a masterpiece of sacred architecture, but also as a model of sustainable economy – here meditation and production went indeed hand in hand. Despite the areas surrounding the abbey were rather inhospitable, they were perfect for rice cultivation and the monks set on developing it as early as the 10th century.
Italian artist Margherita Raso found the complex particularly inspiring and started studying its history, architecture and the agricultural surroundings of the Santa Maria Abbey.
For her studies, Raso opted for the aerial view: she used indeed a drone to map the area of the abbey, then she started analysing the aerial images and broke them into details, investigating the power of chiaroscuro and the relationship between light and colour, also through paintings that told the story of this area such as Angelo Morbelli's "Per ottanta centesmi" (For 80 cents; View this photo).
In this representation of the mondine, the women working in the rice fields, the artist put emphasis on the geometries of the fields, while the sky is only visible as reflected in the water of the fields, inviting the viewer to consider the point of view of the women working.
Raso took all these inspirations and then reinterpreted them on her Jacquard looms, recreating the landscapes surrounding the abbey and the flooded rice fields, but also the baroque murals adorning the abbey's facade, via warp and weft.
The textile sculptures Raso created – in a palette comprising a variety of blues with some hints of cherry, blood and dark reds, and featuring delicate motifs emerging from the woven background, abstract shapes in matte and shiny threads – are now part of the exhibition "Casting the Tempo" (on view at the abbey until 24th October 2021 as part of the Aptitude for the Arts event).
The works on view can be interpreted as photographic surveys of the landscape in textiles, but also as a way for the artist to bring the external space inside, prompting visitors to ponder about the changing landscape, and the rhythm by which seasons define the relationship between humans and nature.
Raso's works become even more poignant in our times with extreme weather events caused by climate change that are reshaping our environment and our lives, but they also hint at life and regeneration after the pandemic and at the connection of the landscape with women (the rice workers were mainly women) and therefore at Mother Earth.
The textiles are metaphors for the exterior spaces, but also have a meditative quality about them inviting people to look inward and take a break from everyday worries, finding a new balance and a new peace, while considering at the same time the manual work of monks and the importance of manual work today, in an age in which digital spaces have overtaken our lives.
Raso also attempted to give voice to her looms, inspired by a pipe organ mural, painted on the back of the Church's façade, an imagined and immaterial object.
To bring this object to life, Raso enlisted the American-Swedish composer Kali Malone, who crafted an original musical composition for pipe organ (Canto For The Flooded Field) by interpreting the binary code (0-1) of a microscopic extract of Raso's jacquard weavings.
In this way, while Raso's works celebrate two of the five senses – the sight and the touch – with their tactile and visual qualities, the musical composition entices the hearing, creating a unique soundtrack for the event and for the visitors' exploration of the abbey, the exhibition spaces and the tower bell, echoing at the same time the monks' chants.
Those textile fans who would like to discover Raso's works further,may want to take note of another exhibition in which she will appear later on this year (11th September to 17th December), "Rosa in mano" with Nevine Mahmoud and Derek MF Di Fabio, at Milan's Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro.
Image credits for this post
Images 1 to 4 and 11
Santa Maria di Lucedio Abbey, Vercelli, Italy, by Beppe Raso
5.
Margherita Raso
Lentezza No. 1, 2021
Copper pipes, jacquard fabric, trimmings, lead wire
300 x 400 x 100 cm
Courtesy of the artist and Fanta-MLN, Milan
Produced by APTITUDEforthearts
Installation view of Casting The Tempo, curated by Paola Nicolin, Santa Maria di Lucedio Abbey, Vercelli, Italy
Photo: Beppe Raso
6.
Margherita Raso
Lentezza No. 2, 2021
Copper pipes, jacquard fabric, trimmings, lead wire
300 x 400 x 100 cm
Courtesy of the artist and Fanta-MLN, Milan
Produced by APTITUDEforthearts
Installation view of Casting The Tempo, curated by Paola Nicolin, Santa Maria di Lucedio Abbey, Vercelli, Italy
Photo: Beppe Raso
7.
Margherita Raso
Lentezza No. 2, 2021 (detail)
Copper pipes, jacquard fabric, trimmings, lead wire
300 x 400 x 100 cm
Courtesy of the artist and Fanta-MLN, Milan
Produced by APTITUDEforthearts
Installation view of Casting The Tempo, curated by Paola Nicolin, Santa Maria di Lucedio Abbey, Vercelli, Italy
Photo: Beppe Raso
8.
Margherita Raso
Lentezza No. 3, 2021
Copper pipes, jacquard fabric, trimmings, lead wire
300 x 400 x 100 cm
Courtesy of the artist and Fanta-MLN, Milan
Produced by APTITUDEforthearts
Installation view of Casting The Tempo, curated by Paola Nicolin, Santa Maria di Lucedio Abbey, Vercelli, Italy
Photo: Beppe Raso
9.
Margherita Raso
Lentezza No. 3, 2021 (detail)
Copper pipes, jacquard fabric, trimmings, lead wire
300 x 400 x 100 cm
Courtesy of the artist and Fanta-MLN, Milan
Produced by APTITUDEforthearts
Installation view of Casting The Tempo, curated by Paola Nicolin, Santa Maria di Lucedio Abbey, Vercelli, Italy
Photo: Beppe Raso
10.
Margherita Raso
Canto for The Flooded Field, 2021
Music for pipe organ, 40’36”; diptych, inkjet print on paper, 34,5 x 50 x 4,8 cm each
Music composed and recorded by Kali Malone
Courtesy of the artist, Kali Malone and Fanta-MLN, Milan
Prodotta da APTITUDEforthearts / Produced by APTITUDEforthearts
Installation view of Casting The Tempo, curated by Paola Nicolin, Santa Maria di Lucedio Abbey, Vercelli, Italy
Photo: Beppe Raso
12 and 13.
Margherita Raso
Canto for The Flooded Field, 2021
Music for pipe organ
Music composed and recorded by Kali Malone
Photos: Beppe Raso
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