Mediterranea 17: Milan
Fabbrica Del Vapore, Milan
22 – 26 October 2015
14 outstanding artists were selected from UKYA’s Leicester festival in 2014, to represent the UK at the 17th edition of the Biennial of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean in Milan. Our artists joined 200 others from over 20 countries for 4 days of performances, exhibitions, workshops and plenty of Italian food! Artists came from all disciplines, dance to gastronomy, photography to music, and the quality of the work was exceptional. Alongside showcasing their work internationally, some of our artists were selected to participate in residencies prior to the festival. Photographer Anna White spent a week in Milan collaborating with a group of artists from different countries to create new work for the festival, and dancer Madeline Shann and photographer Beth Kane spent 4 days in Genoa participating in talks and workshops and visiting exhibitions.
Madeline Shann said of her trip to Milan and Genoa:
Participating in the festival was a fantastic experience. It was very nourishing to be exposed to so much art in Genoa and Milan, and to learn so much about my international contemporaries and their work. The cities and the festival had so much to offer, and it was a huge boost to my perception of myself as an artist, what is it is possible for art to be, what it is possible for art to achieve, to be included in something so rich and exciting. I met many exceptional people, made a lot of great friends, and had lots of fun. The confidence this experience has given me - both in this particular artwork and as an artist in general - is invaluable. I also have a much less blinkered and anglo-centric idea about what art is and about what life as an artist is like. I had conversations I'll never forget about parts of the world I've never been to, which have really broadened my awareness and interests. I feel a lot more curious about the world outside my own experience and hungry to make more art, to work abroad, experiment with different media and collaborate. I also have some great new contacts!
Check out this film from our trip to Milan: