Risalto

RisAlto is an international exposition of contemporary art that was organized annually in the medieval castle of Camino, Piedmont, between 2001 and 2010. The project is an idea of the artists and . Risalto was the first modern art exhibition in the world that presented mosaics reproduced exclusively in coloured rice. International artists were invited to design the mosaics, that were then produced by the creators of the event in collaboration with the artists.

Technique[]

A phase of the creation of a rice mosaic

The production of the mosaic is a long and complicated process that requires precision and patience. Every year the project starts with the invitation of some selected artists, whose task is to create a stub: usually a drawing or a painting or just criteria for the production of the mosaic. The artist's work is then enlarged and copied on the support 2 metres square. The next step is the colouring of the rice, in the various colours and tones needed, dipping it into a bath of aniline, acrylics or enamel paints. Sometimes, to make the final work fit to the original artist's project, it has been necessary to use extraordinary types of colouring (carbon, nacre, glitter). The rice, dried and covered with a protecting varnish, is then stuck on the support. Lastly there is a finer colouring made using brushes or airbrush, or particular colours; sometimes the artist themselves comes to refine and complete the work.

History[]

The project RisAlto started in 2001 from an idea of and .

The following artists participated: 2001: , , , , , Aldo Mondino, , , Mauro Staccioli, .

2002: Jessica Carroll, , Enzo Cucchi, , Giorgio Griffa, Ugo Nespolo, , , Ben Vautier, Gilberto Zorio.

2003: , , , Trevor Gould, , , Marcello Morandini, Hidetoshi Nagasawa, , Luigi Stoisa.

2004: , , , Julio Le Parc, Emanuele Luzzati, , , .

2005: , , , , Luca Pignatelli, , , .

2006: , , Ugo Giletta, Emilio Isgrò, Bruno Peinado, , Salvo, Francisco Sobrino.

2007. This edition has been organized in honour of artists belonging to Fluxus art current: , Philip Corner, Al Hansen, Geoffrey Hendricks, Ben Patterson, Takako Saito, Ben Vautier, Emmett Williams.

2008: Valerio Berruti, , , , , , Silvio Wolf, Michele Zaza.

2009: Getulio Alviani, Eugenio Carmi, , Nunzio, , , , .

2010: , Enrico Castellani, , , , , , Grazia Varisco.

Bibliography[]

Maurizio Sciaccaluga, Risalto 1, Teograf, Corsico, 2001
Mariateresa Cerretelli, Risalto 2, Teograf, Corsico, 2002
Mariateresa Cerretelli, Risalto 3, Teograf, Corsico, 2003
AA.VV., Risalto 4, Diffusioni Grafiche, Villanova Monferrato, 2004
AA.VV., Risalto 5, Diffusioni Grafiche, Villanova Monferrato, 2005
Giovanni Granzotto, , Horacio Garcia Rossi Dipinti, Verso l’arte edizioni, 2005
AA.VV., Risalto 6, Diffusioni Grafiche, Villanova Monferrato, 2006
Giovanna Barbero, Giovanni Granzotto, Ben Ormenese Francisco Sobrino, Verso l’arte edizioni, 2006.
AA.VV., Risalto 7, Diffusioni Grafiche, Villanova Monferrato, 2007
AA.VV., Risalto 8, Diffusioni Grafiche, Villanova Monferrato, 2008
AA.VV., Risalto 9, Diffusioni Grafiche, Villanova Monferrato, 2009
AA.VV., Risalto 10, Diffusioni Grafiche, Villanova Monferrato, 2010

Press[]

ROBERTO ROSSI, Andar per (bric e foss), in Panorama, 16 maggio 2001.
SABINA SPADA, Riso e ironia. Undici dipinti commestibili, in Arte, ottobre 2001.
SILVIA BOMBELLI, Per un pugno di riso, in Panorama, 23 maggio 2002.
ELISABETTA CANORO, Che cosa c’è in Palio?, in In Viaggio, ottobre. 2002
Nel Monferrato tra mercatini e appuntamenti d’arte, in Corriere della Sera, 4 maggio 2003
Il riso e le rose per una kermesse di fiori e sapori, in La Repubblica, 17 maggio 2003
SILVANA MOSSANO, Riso con i petali di rose alla kermesse di maggio, in La Stampa, 28 aprile 2005
MARIATERESA CERRETELLI, e il riso si trasforma in mosaici d’artista, in Class, luglio 2008.

External links[]

Risalto official website^{[permanent dead link]} (in English and Italian)