Luci d'artista (Artist's lights)

The event called "Luci d'artista" has just ended in Turin. Created in 1999, the event takes place in the period October-January and consists of inviting two artists each year to create a luminous work to be installed in the municipality of Turin. The works will remain on permanent display. For 2024-2025, the artists Luigi Ontani and Andreas Angelidakis have been chosen. Ontani presented a tondo entitled "Scia'Mano", that is, shaman. The reason for this choice can be traced back to Ontani's travel experience, who, moving from a young age in the Asian subcontinent, had the opportunity to meet several shamans. The shaman is that person who with attitudes, way of dressing, true or simulated inspiration, makes the public believe that they have special if not divine powers. Shamanism also manifests itself in advanced civilizations such as the Western one, in politics but also in the social sphere especially on the web. The shaman politician is the populist, the shaman person is the influencer. Both express themselves with hieratic or persuasive bearings depending on the circumstances, gaining the trust of the naive and the ignorant. Ontani's work was placed in Piazza Carlo Felice inside the Sambuy gardens, coincidentally in front of the building where Ontani served in the military. A sign of destiny, influences of shamanism? On Friday 17 January 2025 there was the closing conference of the event with a very crowded auditorium and with an interesting dialogue between Ontani and Giulio Paolini. The accompanying photos refer to the event