‘Six Memos’ at Galeria Labirynt

‘Six Memos’ build up on the legacy of eponymous collection of (five) essays, a last, unfinished and posthumous book by Italian novelist Italo Calvino – ‘Six Memos for the next Millennium’ that gathers five lectures by Calvino written for Harvard University lecture series in 1985 and published in 1988. Today we mark the 30th anniversary of Calvino’s notes and ideas.

Albano Leal Ribeiro, Calvino’s half a dozen, video 04’36’’, 2017. Photo: Marcin Pietrusza

Arnaud Caquelard, At least As lost As Atlas, installation, 2014–2018. Photo: Marcin Pietrusza

Cristina R. Vecino, Under the Noise and Fury, photographs, 2017. Photo: Marcin Pietrusza

Esther Gatón, Three Manners of Sitting , sculpture, 2017. Photo: Marcin Pietrusza

Fabio Tasso, E0BSY18, resin, 2015–2018. Photo: Marcin Pietrusza

Garance Alves, From All Angles Book (single edition), text and colour photographs, 2017. Photo: Marcin Pietrusza

Hristina Ivanoska, Untitled (I’m searching for myself in history but cannot find myself anywhere), cotton thread on woolen felt, 2016. Photo: Marcin Pietrusza

Pranas Griušys, The President’s New Clothes, oil on canvas, 2012. Photo: Marcin Pietrusza

Yane Calovski, Compressed minimum, synthetic rubber, organic pigment, metal, 2016/2017. Photo: Marcin Pietrusza

Five essays bearing titles – Lightness, Quickness, Exactitude, Visibility, Multiplicity (sixth – Consistency, only planned and projected, due to author’s death) represent conceptual trajectories in order to understand the continuing transformations in the world and mainly through literature and language, Calvino’s main interests, but it can be understood further reflecting ideas in art, society and culture. 30 years after publishing, as a reality check, we can reflect on Calvino’s legacy of Six Memos, as a possible future projection and a look back on a common heritage, imagination, humanity and civilization.