PAC competition: 2020 Plan for Contemporary Art 2020

With an overall funding of 3 million euros, 33 projects have been selected for  PAC2020 – the Plan for Contemporary Art, promoted by the Ministry of Culture DGCC. The sections included acquisitions, commissions and enhancing donations of contemporary creative works in Italian public collections.

Museion took part in the competition and secured third place in the “acquisitions” section with the proposal to purchase the work “Esposizione in tempo reale N.4. Lascia su queste pareti una traccia fotografica del tuo passaggio” (1972) (Exposition in real time N.4. Leave a photographic trace of your passing on these walls.) by Franco Vaccari. The work is currently on display at the Museion as part of the Here to stay exhibition in which Vaccari becomes a sort of bridge for introducing other internationally renowned contemporary artists, like Walid Raad, Roman Ondak and Natasha Sadr Haghighian. Thanks to the contribution of the PAC competition, the work will become part of the Museion collection, and integrate and enhance the nucleus of works by this artist already owned by the museum.

The work was designed for and exhibited at the XXXVIth Venice Biennial in 1972, as part of the Italian Pavilion curated by Renato Barilli. In his works, Franco Vaccari uses photography as a proof of presence, a sign, a physical trace of being. In general “expositions in real time” (a term coined by Vaccari himself) moved beyond the happening to open a relationship with the public that tended towards a constructive and interactive dimension. In “Esposizione in tempo reale N.4. Lascia su queste pareti una traccia fotografica del tuo passaggio” the instant photography and self-timer produced direct and concrete evidence of the public’s experience of being present. So, the viewers were directly involved in the generation of the works and instead of being the unique creator, the artist became simply the person who triggered the process.

Special thanks to Franco Vaccari and Galleria P420, the archive organiser, for their support.

Promoter:
Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism
Directorate-General for contemporary creativity