O Sole Mio

Issue 12 featuring works by Jerónimo Elespe, Paul Kneale, Ismini Samanidou, with a reflection by both Dominic Palfreyman and Shiva Lynn Burgos.

 

Issue 11 featuring works by Marco A. Castillo, Adrian Esparza, Nathaniel Rackowe and Canan Tolon.

 

Issue 10 featuring works by Kate Gilmore, Lisa Milroy, Oren Pinhassi and Katrín Sigurðardóttir.

 

Issue 9 featuring works by Adel Abdessemed, Robert Montgomery, Sam Samiee, Sonny Sanjay Vadgama, with a reflection by Aaron Cezar.

 

Issue 8 featuring works by Oliver Beer, Rana Begum, Christopher P. Green and Shaun McDowell, with a reflection by Aline Asmar d’Amman.

 

Issue 7: featuring works by Darren Almond, Shezad Dawood, Ana Elisa Egreja and Ana Gallardo, with a reflection by Layla Diba.

 

Issue 6: featuring works by Koushna Navabi, Richard Wentworth, Ruth Whaley, with a reflection by Lekha Poddar

 

Issue 5: featuring works by Si On, Jakub Julian Ziółkowski, and Martina von Meyenburg, with a written reflection by Claudia Steinfels

 

Issue 4: featuring works by Sonja Braas and Navid Nuur, with a written reflection by Philippe Davet

 

Issue 3: featuring works by Julian Charrière and Christine Rebet, with a written reflection by Francesca Giubilei and Luca Berta

 

Issue 2: featuring works by David Claerbout and Thanh Thi Tran, with a written reflection by Alia Al-Senussi

 

Issue 1: featuring works by Ryan Gander and Rayyane Tabet

Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art is delighted to present an online exhibition of works by a selection of contemporary artists and the wider artistic community in response to the Neapolitan song ‘O Sole Mio’. Consisting of a series of texts and images presented in a digital magazine and shared through weekly newsletters, the virtual exhibition will take place on our website beginning in April 2020.

During this unprecedented and challenging time across the globe, it is vital that we all strive to look beyond the crisis and focus on the positive. With that in mind, we chose ‘O Sole Mio’ as a starting point for this our first online exhibition. Since it was written in 1898, ‘O Sole Mio’ has been performed by many vocalists. It celebrates finding joy in one another but equally in experienced moments of stillness and serenity. Despite the storms we may endure, we each have our ‘own sun’ from which we can draw positive energy and hope.

Inspired by the universal warmth and positive message of the song, we have invited artists to contribute to this virtual exhibition by making or writing a work in response to the concept, meaning and associations connected to the iconic lyrics and melody of ‘O Sole Mio’ – what it represents to them, the memories it evokes and/or how we might understand it within the context of our time. Each week, we will present an issue of the online magazine featuring works by different artists and accessible on our website. At the end of the exhibition their contributions will come together in a printed publication.

The first online issue of the O Sole Mio magazine features works by Rayyane Tabet and Ryan Gander in the form of texts, images and films in response to this Italian song; while subsequent issues will feature works by Darren Almond, Alia Al-Senussi, Julian Charrière, David Claerbout, Shaun McDowell, Koushna Navabi, Navid Nuur, Christine Rebet, Thanh Thi Tran, Richard Wentworth, and others.

O Sole Mio (My Own Sun)

Che bella cosa na jurnata ’e sole
N’aria serena doppo na tempesta
Pe’ ll’aria fresca pare già na festa
Che bella cosa na jurnata ’e sole. [ … ]

Curated by Ziba Ardalan, Founder/Artistic and Executive Director of Parasol unit.

For further information or visual material, please contact info@parasol-unit.org