"YOU YES, YOU NO. THIS YES, THIS NOT." AT POPULARTE FESTIVAL. CORSICA, FRANCE

About why everything deserves a second chance.
CORSICA, FRANCE 2022.

A few weeks ago and after being invited by Fabien to participate in the Popularte, arte fora di cità, I landed for the first time in Corsica. A Mediterranean island whose letter of introduction was sea, sun and high and steep mountains all over it.

For my project I thought of recovering a previous artistic proposal that, unfortunately, I could not carry out. It was also prepared for a festival in France, and this was the full story:

”In 2021, despite all the crises we are experiencing, I took more than 20 planes, visited a few countries and many cities, met special people and was able to paint in places I never imagined. Passports, vaccinations, controls, bureaucracies… but they never stopped me.

On one of these trips I landed in the south of France, in the Alps, to participate in a festival that was being held in a small town that I will not mention. Snow, mountains, sun, skiing, restaurants, shops and a resounding NO to refugees. I thought about working on this subject, too hot for his taste, and after presenting my idea they forbade me to make a portrait of a black man with a serious expression: “You won’t understand and you can get angry. Could you paint a portrait of a girl smiling? It was the response from the mayor, and finally they did not allow me to paint it. Months before, in this same place, they had CLOSED an aid center that provided food and rest for the refugees who crossed the Alps on foot and came from North Africa. Too much contrast for them.”

I thought it would be a good time to go back to something that was left halfway and that I had to get out. This time there were no doubts, no questions, no whys.
I think everything deserves a second chance. And everyone, too.

In addition, I had the opportunity to do a second mural in Lozzi. Perhaps this was the typical mural for which no one would cry out in heaven. Or maybe yes, it depends on the context, right?

After all, I can only thank Fabien for giving me this opportunity, Elodie for all her work and all the people who have made it possible.
Also very grateful to all the great artists with whom I shared those days in Corsica.

I hope to see you soon.