ILLUSTRATORS, CALLIGRAPHERS, PRESSMEN under the theme “PATHS”

Inchiostro Festival is back, an event which left a sign in the cultural landscape of illustration in 2015. The festival is held at the historical centre of the Italian town of Alessandria, inside the ancient Santa Maria di Castello kiosk on the 4th and 5th of June, the theme of this 2016 edition is “Paths“. Inchiostro is turning the town into a real workshop, open to the public, where 50 artists, Italians and foreigners, are going to realise on live their artworks, which include illustration, calligraphy and artistic print. Between the renown guests there is the calligrapher Piero De Macchi, a great master of calligraphy and type designer. An important figure who collaborated with big names during his long career, from Oliveti to Ferrero.

The event – organised by “Progetto Associa”, a coordination of Associations and active citizenship – for this occasion turned the venue of the association into a real residence for artists, where creatives, hosted by the festival, can sleep, and live, and have a confrontation through live performances, and including the public into workshops and exhibitions; for full weekend devoted to art.

Between the 50 guests hosted by the 2016 edition there are Andrea Mozzato, Andrea Serio, Arianna Vairo, Cristiano Baricelli, Eleonora Bonanzinga, Elisa Talentino, Elisabetta Benfatto, Francesco Bongiorni, Gaia Bernasconi, Jacopo Rosati, Johnny Cobalto, Lorenza Natarella, Margherita Gazzola, Maria Herreros, Matteo Anselmo, Matteo Cuccato, Matteo Gubellini, Mauro Chiarotto, Mauro Mazzara, Menchu Fernandez, Rita Petruccioli, Roberto La Forgia, Sergio Olivotti, Sergio Ponchione, Sergiy Maidukov, Stefano Zattera, Chiara Riva, Massimo Polello, Piero De Macchi, Stamperia d’Arte 74\b, Print Club Torino, Betterpress lab, Antica Stamperia d’Arte Busato: to them, together with other illustrators, calligraphers and art printers, is given the assignment to add “colour” to the black and white art festival.

Contest

Inchiostro Festival puts together the event/manifestation open to the public with the education activity through a series of workshops, organised during the year directly at the artistic high schools and at the graphic design institutes, with the active involvement of students from IED (European Institute of Design) xylography course in Turin, who elaborated some illustrations based on the festival theme “Paths”. This without forgetting the Youth Contest which, together with the education activity, is an important part of the Inchiostro Festival. This contest was officially presented in different occasions in December 2015 at IED, and it is oriented to all the young artists between 16 and 25 years old.

The artworks presented at the contest will be judge by a jury made of the same artists hosted by the festival. Between those, the jury will select 10 works that will be exhibited at Sala Affreschi in the kiosk, during the event in June. The three winners of the contest are going to be invited as hosted artists for the edition 2017, moreover they will have the right to access to a special award constituted of a scholarship, with 50% discount on the subscription at IED Turin (the award is valid only for students at the last year of high school, and second grade in Piemonte, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta).

Workshops, performance, exhibition and much more

The 4th and 5th of June the doors of the kiosk are going to open to give life to the activities including live performances, exhibitions, debates, presentations and meetings regarding themes of traditional printing techniques, engraving, calligraphy and xylography. Inside the Fucina of Inchiostro, which is the area where illustrators and printers realise limited editions of co-designed works based on the theme “Paths”, you experience the historical meeting between craftsmanship masters and artists. An exciting artistic workshop which combines inspiration with a variety of techniques, for a production which, with time, is going to remain a precious art example in the Festival permanent collection.

The hosted artists, in order to begin their work, they will receive a white sheet (given at the arrival together with a Pentel tools kit), on which the creative process will start in black and white, a distinctive choice of the festival. The artworks are going to be exhibited inside the kiosk. Moreover the public can actively take part to the workshops held by the same artists through bookings, so that they become co-protagonists of the festival living two days of pure art and creativity. To the little ones there are dedicated workshops in the Impiastro Festival area, to give the opportunity of a first approach with the handmade and visual expression.

Saturday evening instead the location will be animated by shows, performance and projections curated by Paper Street, with a big part dedicated to the involving “illustrators match” projected on two maxi screen: two illustrators will challenge each other inspired by the live music of Laser Trio. The dj set is by IMC which will close the evening in a unique atmosphere of party and colours.

INFO:

4-5 June 2016

Inchiostro Festival® – Progetto Associa & Associazione PropostAL

c/o Piazza Santa Maria di Castello 14, Alessandria (AL)

+39 339 855 2138

info@inchiostrofestival.com

www.inchiostrofestival.com

www.facebook.com/inchiostrofestival

Progetto Associa

ufficiostampa@inchiostrofestival.com