On December 7^th, La parata strampalata! invaded the empty halls of Triennale and its neighbourhood with an irreverent parade, animated by giant handmade puppets and live music. The event, curated by Fantom’s Ilaria Speri, was the result of five days of workshops for all ages, conceived and held by Ruggge, Drinchendrò and BOLO Paper for Parla Ascolta Guarda Fai.

The series of workshops was inspired by the core theme of the project, which literally means ‘speak listen watch do’. Each verb was associated to body parts and interpreted by the participants, who had the chance to discover how bizarre jaws, teeth, ears, antennas, eyes and tentacles can become, with a pinch of imagination. 

Three days were dedicated to the making of a fanzine with Marco Nicotra, graphic designer and founder of the publishing house BOLO Paper. The workshop was conceived as a school of self-production, from conception to design, while experimenting with analogue post-production methods such as distortion, enlargement, reduction and collage. Among assorted old and new images – mouths, ears, noses and eyes with strange appearances –, the participants were guided in the creation of a unique and personal fanzine to keep with them.

Meantime, while the commander Ruggge guided the participants in the construction of giant puppets – the protagonists of the parade – , the collective Drinchendrò dedicated their workshops to the making of the furnishings: from simple accessories such as cloaks, flags, posters and collages, up to more elaborated equipment such as wearable sound accessories and kaleidoscopic cardboard glasses. Everything was made with recovered materials, discarded cardboard boxes and fabric scraps, and each creation was installed and exhibited in the Curva hall of Triennale during the week, up to the final parade. On a sunny Saturday, December 7^th, La parata strampalata!, fostered by Ruggge, led a colourful and loud army of puppets, gaudy costumes, extreme masks, howling flags and runaway musical instruments all the way from the Triennale to the near Arco della Pace and Parco Sempione, and back.

Ruggero Asnago (Ruggge) was born in 1984. He is an illustrator, visual artist and teacher of artistic disciplines. He loves to play with images, both static and in motion, wandering between graphic design and visual arts, with a particular interest in all forms of puppet theatre. Widespread participation, sharing, collective workshops and artistic residencies are recurring elements in his research and fundamental ingredients for his ever-developing collaborative works. He lives and works in Milan. (www.ruggge.com)

Drinchendrò is a laboratory where anything can happen. It’s done with paper, pencils, brushes, fabrics, magic potions, and above all with people. A collective based in Milan, composed of a group of product and visual communication designers, and illustrators, Drinchendrò is Laura Bagnera, Chiara Dal Maso, Judy Rhum, Matteo Signorelli and Irene Ticarmina.

BOLO Paper is an independent publishing house founded in Milan in 2011 by the graphic designer Marco Nicotra. He designs and produces artists’ books, magazines, fanzines and limited-edition prints, often in collaboration with designers and artists. With over 300 titles distributed internationally, marked by a vintage, trashy and sarcastic aftertaste, BOLO Paper explores the world of images. Randomness and error are the ingredients behind the BOLO publications, which highlight and make fun of what we consider politically correct in a brazen and provocative way. (www.bolopaper.com)

Parla Ascolta Guarda Fai is the interdisciplinary programme of installations, exhibitions, performances, screenings, workshops and projects curated by Fantom and Davide Giannella for Triennale Milano, under the artistic direction of Umberto Angelini. The project is coordinated for Fantom by Selva Barni and Benedetta Pomini.

La parata strampalata!
Workshops with Ruggge, Drinchendrò and BOLO Paper
In collaboration with Andrea Solari (Rota-Lab)/Officine Cosenz
Music by FONC-Fanfara obbligatoria non convenzionale
Curated by Ilaria Speri/Fantom for Parla Ascolta Guarda Fai
Artistic Direction: Umberto Angelini 
Curated by Davide Giannella and Massimo Torrigiani/Fantom 
December 2–7, 2019 
Triennale Milano