Caterina Davinio

You know I have no myths.
I love the rally cars
and a few other things
that I cannot say.
— Caterina Davinio, from Serial Phenomenologies
Language is an interface between us and the world. Beyond language, there is nothing but pure mystical contemplation of the universe.
— Caterina Davinio, from Virtual Mercury House. Planeatary & Interplanetary Events
Caterina Davinio

Caterina Davinio in 1990
Born (1957-11-25)25 November 1957
Foggia, Apulia, Italy
Occupation poet, writer, new media artist
Literary movement Postmodernism, Concrete poetry, Visual poetry, Digital art, Digital poetry, Net.art
Notable works Karenina.it, Global Poetry, The First Poetry Shuttle Landing on Seconf Life

Caterina Davinio (born Maria Caterina Invidia; November 25, 1957, Foggia) is an Italian poet, novelist and new media artist. Author of digital art, net.art, video art. She was the creator of Italian Net-poetry in 1998.

Biography

Born in Foggia, she grew up in Rome since 1961. She studied literature and art history (student of Giulio Carlo Argan) at Rome University La Sapienza, where, in 1981, she received a bachelor's degree in Italian Literature. Caterina began to write poetry when she was fourteen years old.[1] In Rome she came in contact with the international circuit of experimental poetry and art,[2] resulting in an intense curatorial activity in collaboration with renowned artists, critics and poets of the avant-garde.[3][4] Since 1997 she has been living in Monza and Lecco, working at international level.

From the early 1990s Davinio was a pioneer of Italian electronic poetry, in the experimental field among writing, visual art, and new media, using computer, video, digital photography, Internet. She was the first woman artist who utilized the computer and Internet in literature and poetry in Italy.[5] Author of visual and sound poetry,[6] she created also works with traditional techniques, such as painting[7] and photography. She is author of novels, books of poetry, essays, and for many of them she received literary awards and recognition in Italy and abroad. In 1997 she collaborated to netOper@, the first Italian interactive work for the web, by the composer Sergio Maltagliati.[8] She also initiated Net-poetry in Italy, in 1998, with the website and network Karenina.it.[9][10] The participants included Julien Blaine, Clemente Padin, Philadelpho Menezes, Mirella Bentivoglio, Lamberto Pignotti, Eugenio Miccini, and many other new media artists, critics, and experimental poets.[11][12]

Her art has been featured in more than three hundred international exhibitions and festivals in many countries, among them the Biennale de Lyon (two editions), the Biennale of Sydney (on-line events), the Athens Biennial,[13] E-Poetry (University SUNY Buffalo, NY, and Barcelona),[14] Polyphonix Festival (Barcelona and Paris), seven times in the Venice Biennale and collateral events, where she collaborated also as a curator.[15][16][17][18][19][20]

She exhibited animated digital poetry works - called "Terminal Videopoems" - in the 1997 Venice Biennale, in VeneziaPoesia, a project directed by the poet and writer Nanni Balestrini.[21] In 1999 she participated, as a poet and a video artist, in "Progetto Oreste" at the Italian Pavilion of the 48th Venice Biennale,[22] where she also curated a video poetry exhibition.[23]

Davinio's net-poetry participated in the Venice Biennale also in 2001 - Harald Szeemann curator - in the context of Bunker Poetico,[24][25][26] which was a collaborative installation - involving 1000 international poets and artists - created by the architect Marco Nereo Rotelli in cooperation with Istituto Italiano per gli Studi Filosofici of Venice, Massimo Donà, I Quaderni del Battello Ebbro publisher, Caterina Davinio, Milanocosa cultural association, and others.[27] Davinio engaged in this project renown avant-garde poets and organized a virtual happening on-line called "Parallel Action-Bunker", simultaneous with real readings and performances at Orsogrill delle Artiglierie, a venue of the Venice Biennial.[28][29]

In 2005 she created the net-poetry work "Virtual Island", a web site and poetry network, in the context of the 51st Venice Biennale.[30]Virtual Island involved 500 international poets, among them: Adunis, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Alda Merini, Fernanda Pivano, and many other established writers.[31]

In 2009 she created the virtual installation The First Poetry Space Shuttle Landing on Second Life and other on-line happenings in the 53rd Venice Biennale Collateral Events, engaging more than 200 poets from around the world, to celebrate the centenary of Italian Futurism.[32][33] In the same project she curated also the event Network Poetico Net-Poetry Reading in Webcam, a poetry reading in Skype videocall with poets from various continents and countries.[34] In the context of the 2009 Venice Biennale Davinio participated also in the exhibition Détournement Venise 2009.[35]

In 2014 she exhibited her net-poetry installation "Big Splash" in the "Master Section" [36] of the international festival OLE.01, dedicated to electronic literature, in the Doric Room of the Royal Palace of Naples;[37][38][39] The festival took place in many institutional spaces of Naples in October 2014 and involved some of the main international pioneers of electronic literature and experts and scholars in that field.[40][41]

Among the literary critics who have written about Davinio's works of fiction and poetry: Francesco Muzzioli,[42][43] Dante Maffia,[44] Ivano Mugnaini,[45] David W. Seaman; some of the critics who have been interested in her work of digital poetry and electronic arts are: Eugenio Miccini, Lamberto Pignotti,[46] Jorge Luiz Antonio,[47][48][49] Christopher Thompson Funkhouser,[50][51] Marco Maria Gazzano, and others.

Caterina Davinio in Bologna in 1981.

Karenina.it

Net-poetry project Karenina it (1998)[52] was the first art-poetry-communication project presented on the web in an Italian context; the website was not a simple cultural on-line journal, but a "space of aggregation", which hosted an ongoing discourse, involving emerging and established experimental artists, critics, and visual poets. The communication aspect was treated as an artistic medium that goes beyond the contents or the quality of the words: borders among art, critic, and communication, in Davinio's own concept, were cancelled. The flow of words and information became art in itself, transcending the necessity to view art in traditional terms of form.[53] The suffix ".it" present in Karenina.it title is a geographic locator for the origin of the website. The value of the site resides within the conceptual framework of the Fluxus art movement."[54] Karenina.it won MAD03 Award (section Net-Zin) in 2003, Madrid.[55]

Other Net.art Works

Other Davinio’s net-poetry and net.art performances and events are based on the evolution of the multi-located structure experimented with Parallel Action-Bunker, mentioned before: beyond the simple presence of the performer on stage, performance is considered a collaborative, decentralized, multi-located action; poetry is conceived as "social structure, e-communication, real/virtual interaction", and "e-communication" is assumed as a new material for the artist.[56][57] Among them:

Caterina Davinio, Self-Portrait, Munich 1979.

Net-Poetry Links

Digital Art and Video

Exhibitions

Caterina Davinio participated in more than three hundred international art exhibions in the world, among them: Biennale de Lyon (two editions), The Venice Biennale and collateral events (seven editions since 1997, where she collaborated also as a curator),[62][63][64][65][66][67] Athens Biennial,[68] Poliphonyx (in Barcelona and in Paris), Biennale of Sydney (Online Venue), Liverpool Biennial (Independents, Online Venue), ParmaPoesia, VeneziaPoesia (Nanni Balestrini curator), RomaPoesia, Biennale di arti elettroniche, cinema e televisione of Rome (Marco Maria Gazzano curator), Le tribù dell'Arte, Tribù del video e della performance (Rome, Galleria Comunale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Achille Bonito Oliva curator),[69] Artmedia VII (University of Salerno, Mario Costa curator),[70] E-Poetry Festival (University of Barcelona, University SUNY Buffalo, NY),[71] Interactiva, New Media Art Biennial, Merida, Mexico, Hong Kong Artists' Biennial, and many others.

Publications

Novels:

Poetry books:

Essays:

Other publications:

Personal Life and Curiosities

Student at the Faculty of Humanities, University La Sapienza of Rome, in 1977, she participated in the Movement of 1977 and in the occupation of the faculty.[72] Davinio lived a turbulent young life marked by heroin addiction and abuse of drugs and alcohol; this experience emerges in many of her literary works, particularly in Il libro dell'oppio 1975 – 1990 (The Book of Opium 1975 – 1990).[73][74][75][76] In 1980 she married the Turkish entrepreneur Levent Muharrem Sergün in Rome, moving to Munich and Istanbul; in 1982 their son Leonardo was born in Rome. After the divorce in 1984, Caterina married Claudio Preziosi in Rome in 1986,[77] giving birth, in the same year, to her son Riccardo Amedeo. Lover of travels, Davinio dedicated to India, Africa, and many other places, poetry and photography works. She has nine tattoos made in her travels, including some Sak Yant, traditional South East Asia tattoos, realized in Cambodia.

References

  1. ↑ Interview, 2015 Accessed August 24, 2015
  2. ↑ (2007.) "Interview: Caterina Davinio." . Accessed August 24, 2015.
  3. ↑ Caterina Davinio, Tecno-Poesia e realtà virtuali (Techno-Poetry and Virtual Realities), essay with English translation. Preface by Eugenio Miccini. Collection: Archivio della Poesia del 900, Mantova, Sometti Publisher, 2002, pp. 239-270. ISBN 88-88091-85-8
  4. ↑ Electronìe d'arte e altre scritture, meeting, Museo Pecci, Prato, 1995. Accessed August 24, 2015
  5. ↑ "D'Ars", review directed by Pierre Restany, anno 43, n. 175-176, December 2003, Milano, ISSN 0011-6726. p. 98. See pp 89-98.
  6. ↑ Athens Biennial, 2007. Accessed August 24, 2015
  7. ↑ AAVV, Davinio, Roma, Parametro, 1990.
  8. ↑ netOper@ Accessed August 24, 2015
  9. ↑ Digital Visions, UBC Accessed August 24, 2015
  10. ↑ RCCS, review by Jorge Luiz Antonio Accessed August 24, 2015
  11. ↑ Caterina Davinio, Tecno-Poesia e realtà virtuali (Techno-Poetry and Virtual Realities), essay with English translation. Preface by Eugenio Miccini. Collection: Archivio della Poesia del 900, Mantova, Sometti, 2002, ISBN 88-88091-85-8, pp 86-88.
  12. ↑ Karenina.it Experimental Accessed August 24, 2015
  13. ↑ Athen Biennial Artwaveradio Accessed August 24, 2015
  14. ↑ E-Poetry 2011 Accessed August 24, 2015
  15. ↑ Tecno-Poesia e realtà virtuali, cited essay, ISBN 88-88091-85-8 pp. 244-247, 251-254.
  16. ↑ AAVV, VeneziaPoesia 97, catalogue of the exhibition, Edimedia, Venezia 1997.
  17. ↑ Oreste At The 48th Venice Biennale, Ed Charta, Milano 1999. Catalogue of Oreste Project at the Venice Biennale 1999, Italian Pavilion. ISBN 88-8158-279-1
  18. ↑ 49ª Esposizione internazionale d'arte Platea dell'umanità La Biennale di Venezia, Electa 2001. Project: "Bunker Poetico", by Marco Nereo Rotelli.
  19. ↑ La Biennale di Venezia, 51ª esposizione internazionale d'arte, Partecipazioni nazionali - Eventi nell'ambito, catalogo Marsilio, ISBN 88-317-8800-0. Project: Isola della Poesia, by Marco Nereo Rotelli, Achille Bonito Oliva curator.
  20. ↑ 53ª Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte La Biennale di Venezia Fare Mondi Partecipazioni Nazionali Eventi collaterali, p. 254 ISBN 978-88-317-9803-7 Project: Mercury House One_Save the Poetry curated by Fondazione Mare Nostrum and Marco N. Rotelli.
  21. ↑ AAVV, VeneziaPoesia 97, catalogue of the exhibition, Edimedia, Venezia 1997.
  22. ↑ Oreste At The 48th Venice Biennale, catalogue of the Exhibition at the Italian Pavilion, Milan, Charta Publisher, 1999 ISBN 88-8158-279-1.
  23. ↑ Caterina Davinio, Tecno-Poesia e realtà virtuali, Collection: "Archivio della poesia del 900", Preface by Eugenio Miccini, Sometti, Mantova 2002, a book sponsored and supported by the city of Mantua ISBN 88-88091-85-8.
  24. ↑ See the catalogue of the 49ª Esposizione internazionale d'arte Platea dell'umanità La Biennale di Venezia, Electa 2001. Project: "Bunker Poetico", by Harald Szeemann and Marco Nereo Rotelli.
  25. ↑ Marco Nereo Rotelli, Bunker Poetico. La poesia come opera. Porretta Terme - BO, I Quaderni del Battello Ebbro, 2001 ISBN 88-86861-49-4, p. 81 and 245-246.
  26. ↑ Parallel Action-Bunker, Davinio's event and web site for Bunker Poetico, 2001 at the Wayback Machine (archived January 31, 2006).
  27. ↑ 49ma Esposizione internazionale d'arte Platea dell'umanità La Biennale di Venezia, Electa 2001, p. 395.
  28. ↑ Parallel Action-Bunker, June 7th, 2001, on-line event realized during the Opening of the Bunker Poetico of the 49th Venice Biennale at the Wayback Machine (archived April 6, 2004).
  29. ↑ Tecno-poesia e realtà virtuali, cited essay, pp. 42-43, 253-254, 290-291.
  30. ↑ See the catalogue of La Biennale di Venezia, 51ª esposizione internazionale d'arte, Partecipazioni nazionali - Eventi nell'ambito, catalogo Marsilio, ISBN 88-317-8800-0. Project: Isola della Poesia, by Marco Nereo Rotelli, Achille Bonito Oliva Curator
  31. ↑ Isola Virtuale Accessed August 24, 2015
  32. ↑ In the project: Mercury House One_Save the Poetry by Fondazione Mare Nostrum and Marco N. Rotelli. See the catalogue of the 53rd Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte La Biennale di Venezia Fare Mondi Partecipazioni Nazionali Eventi collaterali, p. 254 ISBN 978-88-317-9803-7
  33. ↑ Accessed August 24, 2015
  34. ↑ Review Artxworld Accessed August 24, 2015
  35. ↑ Review Artxworld Accessed August 24, 2015
  36. ↑ OLE.01 Master Section Accessed August 16, 2015
  37. ↑ Review in the newspaper "Diario Partenopeo". Accessed August 16, 2015
  38. ↑ Review in the newspaper La Repubblica September 18, 2014, accessed August 16, 2015
  39. ↑ La Repubblica accessed August 16, 2015
  40. ↑ OLE.01 Master Section accessed August 16, 2015.
  41. ↑ See the TV report on RAI 2 Italian national channel accessed August 16, 2015.
  42. ↑ Poesia2punto0.com September 5 2012 accessed August 16, 2015.
  43. ↑ Poesia2punto0.com August 29 2012 accessed August 16, 2015.
  44. ↑ Fatti deprecabili. Poesie e performance dal 1971 al 1996, Poesia2punto0.com, January 4 2015 accessed August 16, 2015.
  45. ↑ Samgha.me May 21 2013, Il sofà sui binari di Caterina Davinio accessed August 16, 2015.
  46. ↑ Lamberto Pignotti, Scritture convergenti. Letteratura e mass media, Pasian di Prato (UD), Campanotto Publisher, 2005
  47. ↑ RCCS, review by Jorge Luiz Antonio accessed August 23, 2015
  48. ↑ Jorge Luiz Antonio, Poesia digital, livro e dvd, Navegar Editora, ISBN 978-85-7926-015-5 Luna Bisonte Prods ISBN 1-892280-82-5
  49. ↑ Jorge Luiz Antonio, Poesia eletronica, livro e dvd, Veredas & Cenarios, ISBN 978-85-61508-02-9
  50. ↑ Christopher Thompson Funkhouser, Prehistoric Digital Poetry: An Archaeology of Forms, 1959-1995, University of Alabama Press, 24/giu/2007 ISBN 0-8173-1562-4 ISBN 9780817315627
  51. ↑ Christopher Thompson Funkhouser, New Directions in Digital Poetry, A&C Black, 19/gen/2012 ISBN 1-4411-1591-9 ISBN 9781441115911
  52. ↑ Karenina.it Experimental Accessed August 24, 2015
  53. ↑ "CommunicAction and Perspectives on Modern Web Literary Avant-Garde", by Enrico Gianfranchi, in Digital Visions Festival, Sylvia Borda director, University of British Columbia .
  54. ↑ Enrico Gianfranchi, in Digital Visions Festival, Sylvia Borda director, University British Columbia .
  55. ↑ AAVV, MAD 03, Secondo encuentro de arte experimental de Madrid, October 24 to November 16, 2003, catalogue published by AVAM, Artistas Visuales Asociados de Madrid, with the support of Ministerio de Cultura, Concejalia de las artes del ajuntamiento de Madrid, p. 97 and 102.
  56. ↑ definition from the artist's page. The artist expressed these concepts also in some interviews and in the essay Tecno-Poesia e realtà virtuali, Mantova, Sometti, 2002.
  57. ↑ About caterina Davinio's net-poetry and video work see also the book with dvd Virtual Mercury House Planetary and Interplanetary Events, Polìmata Publisher, Roma 2012 ISBN 978-88-96760-26-0
  58. ↑ accessed August 24, 2015
  59. ↑ accessed August 24, 2015
  60. ↑ http://www.diariopartenopeo.it/arriva-ole-01-festival-il-primo-in-italia-dedicato-alla-letteratura-elettronica/ accessed August 24, 2015
  61. ↑ Caterina Davinio, Big Splash Network Poetico, Fermenti Publisher, Rome 2015 ISBN 978-88-97171-59-1
  62. ↑ Tecno-Poesia e realtà virtuali, essay, ISBN 88-88091-85-8 pp. 244-247, 251-254.
  63. ↑ AAVV, VeneziaPoesia 97, catalogue of the exhibition, Edimedia, Venezia 1997.
  64. ↑ Oreste At The 48th Venice Biennale, Ed Charta, Milan 1999. Catalogue of Oreste Project at the Venice Biennale 1999, Italian Pavilion. ISBN 88-8158-279-1
  65. ↑ 49ª Esposizione internazionale d'arte Platea dell'umanità La Biennale di Venezia, Electa 2001. Project: "Bunker Poetico", by Marco Nereo Rotelli.
  66. ↑ La Biennale di Venezia, 51ª esposizione internazionale d'arte, Partecipazioni nazionali - Eventi nell'ambito, catalogo Marsilio, ISBN 88-317-8800-0. Project: Isola della Poesia, by Marco Nereo Rotelli, Achille Bonito Oliva curator.
  67. ↑ 53ª Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte La Biennale di Venezia Fare Mondi Partecipazioni Nazionali Eventi collaterali, p. 254 ISBN 978-88-317-9803-7 Project: Mercury House One_Save the Poetry curated by Mare Nostrum Foundation and Marco N. Rotelli.
  68. ↑ Athen Biennial Artwaveradio Accessed August 24, 2015
  69. ↑ La Repubblica September 11, 2001 Accessed August 16, 2015
  70. ↑ AAVV, Artmedia VII, a cura di Mario Costa, catalogo, Salerno 1999.
  71. ↑ E-Poetry 2011 Accessed August 16, 2016
  72. ↑ Fatti deprecabili. Poesie e performance dal 1971 al 1996, Serrungarina (PU), published by: ArteMuse divisione di David and Matthaus, 2015. ISBN 978-88-6984-038-8
  73. ↑ Interview, 2012
  74. ↑ Review
  75. ↑ Review
  76. ↑ Poems from The Book of Opium
  77. ↑ Caterina Davinio in the Seventies and the Eighties Accessed August 24, 2015

Bibliography

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