Small boat exhibition in Lignano Sabbiadoro: Barcamania

The 120.000 visitors of the first edition urged the cultural association of Lignano “From a wave a smile” to organize again Barcamania, providing a richer programme.

The main purpose of this event is to promote not only the market of small boats, but also all the world around the sea and the golden beach of Lignano. For this reason, in addition to the professional associations and the institutes, will also be involved traders, hoteliers, sport associations and the tourist high school Savorgnan di Brazzà.

As the last year, the exhibition of small boats will take place along the main street of Lignano, with new locations between Piazza City and Terrazza a Mare and it will involve also the beautiful and well-equipped docks of the seaside resort with specific projects. The boats on display will be more than 40 with its gazebos and they will be framed by shops and bars, a gastronomic area with typical dishes from the Marano Lagoon and an entertainment area for shows. Barcamania will offer also international nautical news and debates and meetings on yachting held by experts in this field. Art and culture will be part of the event: a photographic and a painting exhibition will be present for all the duration of Barcamania.

The small boat exhibition wants also to promote Lignano during the winter season, when the seaside resort hasn't tourist flow, through the creation of ad hoc events. In this case the event is addressed to boats and sailing lovers, that knew Barcamania the last year and also this autumn during the famous Nautilia in Aprilia Marittima.

Very good comments were expressed by the President of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Renzo Tondo, and by the President of the Province of Udine, Piero Fontanini, who emphasised the importance of such initiatives to deseasonalize the tourist offer and to suggest holiday packages for the next summer season. Danila Ciotta, President of the association “A smile from a wave”, clarified that the aim of Barcamania is to help children in trouble in Friuli Venezia Giulia, through solidarity projects and donations to unlucky children and families.

Barcamania 2009 will take place from Saturday the 21st of February to Sunday the 1st of March along Via Udine, Viale Tolmezzo, Viale Venezia and Parco S. Giovanni Bosco.

The programme of the small boat exhibition includes:

exposition of small boats
presentation of international nautical news, meetings and debates on yachting
photographic and painting exhibition
gastronomic and entertainment areas
open shops, Shopping-Day
promotions of the holiday packages for the summer season 2009 in Lignano

Barcamania waits for you in Lignano Sabbiadoro from February the 21st to March the 1st!


www.lignano.it

The Museo de la Ciudad Santiago de Querétaro to host Jackie Sleper's exhibition dedicated to Mexico

In January, February and March 2009, Dutch artist Jackie Sleper will exhibit "Dulce y Amargo" in the Museo de la Ciudad Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico

From 21 January - 21 March 2009, the Museo de la Ciudad Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico, will host the famous Dutch artist's, Jackie Sleper, touring exhibition "Dulce y Amargo" inspired by, and dedicated to, Mexico and the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and curated by Matty Roca.

Jackie Sleper, the winner of the section "Sculpture and Installation" at the Florence Biennale 2007, has always been fascinated by Mexico and the artist Frida Kahlo, for whom she has a profound admiration and so, when she received an offer from Matty Roca to depict her vision of Mexico she readily accepted. Over the course of the following two years, Jackie Sleper spent many months in situ, about which she says "I took in everything around me, spoke with lots of people and, in particular, got a sense of the country. My previous love of Mexico only grew stronger."

Her works are at times reminiscent of a variety of artists: Rivera, Orozco, Tamayo and Pollock. Jackie Sleper assumes absolute freedom in applying various techniques and introducing experimental elements: her work is characterised by combinations of photography and painting, and the use of mixed media. In addition to painting, Jackie also creates objects using a variety of materials, which she then transforms into wholly a new and surprising entity, such a the wonderful and fun piece "Rocatizada", dedicated to her curator Matty Roca. The artist other works to be guided by a profound sense of humanity, and she is an artist in the truest sense of the word, her work has always been grounded in her exploration of the human existence and its significance. The art critic, Wim Van der Beek said about Jackie's work prior to her 2007 Netherlands exhibition: "Jackie Sleper's aim is not to shock, but to make things tangible and manageable. She does not want to magnify injustices, but to offe r solutions in the form of positive and unorthodox ways of seeing."

The Querétaro show is the first step in 2009 of Jackie's touring exhibition. Jackie's exhibitions showing throughout Mexico in 2008 and 2009 are all being curated by Matty Roca, art historian, museum curator and art critic. They have so far been a huge success, the first was held at the Museo de la Cultura Maya in Chetumal in March and April 2008, in May-June at the Museo de la Isla in Cozumel, at the Museum of Modern Art of Gómez Palacio in July and August, and most recently in the Museo El Aguacate in Durango.

The artist will, as always, be present at the vernissage of "Dulce y Amargo" on 21 January, along with important local personalities from the political, cultural and educational scene in Mexico and from the Dutch and European communities living in the state of Querétaro.

Jackie Sleper was born in Amsterdam and studied at the Utrecht Academy for Visual Arts. Between 1988 and 1995 she spent time in Ireland, Spain and Prague for study purposes. Works produced in her home country, the Netherlands, include a tile plateau in honour of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, commissioned by the municipality of Utrecht, and 'light objects' for the Kruisheren Hotel, a design establishment that opened in Maastricht in 2005. Outside the Netherlands, she has exhibited in Antwerp (Art-Event), Stockholm (Art Fair), Marbella (Marb Art – Feria Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo), Geneva (Europ'Art), Klagenfurt (Biennale Austria), Salzburg (Mozart Festival), Florence (Museo Diocesano and Biennale Internazionale dell'Arte Contemporanea), Milan (Studio D'Ars), New York (Carrozzini Von Buhler Gallery and CVB Space), and in Mexico. One of her sculptures, "Modestia", was exhibited during the Venice Biennale, at Open 2007. She won the 1st prize for "Sculpture and Installation" at the Florence Biennale 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Jackie Sleper
website: http://www.jackiesleper.com

Images:
You can also see images of Jackie's art at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dulceyamargo

For journalists only:
High resolution files of these images or other press related information can be requested directly from the press office:
Vito Abba press officer
Studio Abba - Corso Italia, 6 - 50123 Florence, Italy
info@studioabba.com
http://www.studioabba.com/

Other images and further information are available at:
http://www.dulceyamargo.com/
It will be possible to follow the various stages of "Dulce y Amargo" thanks to the information and images that will be posted on www.dulceyamargo.com.

Visitors to Jackie's exhibitions in Mexico can also upload photos taken during the exhibitions on Flickr and share them with
http://www.flickr.com/groups/dulceyamargo
At the end of the exhibition series, the authors of the three photos that Jackie likes most, will each receive a signed lithograph of one of her works.

For general comments contact:
dulceyamargo@yahoo.com