Diary of artists in quarantine

translation by Marina Dlacic

DAMMS is the acronym with which Daniela Arnoldi and Marco Sarzi-Sartori sign their works, 4-handed art
Damss.com

We have asked ourselves 3 questions regarding this self-isolating period, and we have come up with 3 answers

WHAT ARE WE WORKING ON

In the last 4 years we have completed the series of the CITIES IN THE FUTURE

Milan 3000,  where we looked at the effects of pollution

Rome 3000, with the issue of migration

Venice 3000 and the upheavals of earthquakes

Also POP SUPPER about Leonardo DaVinci

Last September we developed the project INFERNO 3000, inspired by the celebrations for the 700th anniversary of Dante’s Inferno.

We are currently working on this: the panel INFERNO measures 12 meters large by 4 meters high. It deals with the conditions that human beings will have to face in 1 000 years if they fail to solve all the challenges about climate change,  the environment and social inequality.

Right now we have all been affected by the pandemic, and our project has become almost prophetic, here is how.

Among other issues, we had looked into global warming and consequentially the melting of icebergs, therefore the resurgence of thousand year old viruses dormant in the permafrost.

At that point, the pandemic broke out, and since we had already studied and analyzed the theme of overpopulation in futuristic mega cities, our project became a reality.
Even Dante had predicted that we “came out to look at the stars again”, maybe he also hoped that everything that he described in the Inferno would be a warning for a better life, the same way we have inserted in the top right corner of the panel a beam of hope for a better future.

HOW WE ARE LIVING IN THESE TIMES

The commitments we had already made are still in place, although the deadlines have been pushed back, therefore at the moment we are taking advantage of the “extra time” to pursue our never ending research. During the everyday work on INFERNO 3000, we are now able to take time to experiment with different techniques that envision and transform the surface, The feel of the fabric, how to treat and texturize the fabrics.

Right now we have been able to study and plan which “painting procedure” to use in the different sections of the big board, and we have identified 25 backgrounds with different characteristics, since each section has its own specific nature that needs to be studied and planned for, and now we have the time to do it. 

HOW THIS ENVIRONMENT INTERFERES WITH OUR RESEARCH

We have a positive outlook for these very special times, and we try to use as best we can the changes in our  daily lives.

Now we can use the “extra time” we have to do all the things we had to suppress because of the urgency and stress of our plans.

These days our timing is slightly different than usual, and we have upset it by taking on more projects.

All in all we are engaging in the productive and creative aspects which during stressful times we are forced to neglect.

These days we have more time to spare, and the completion of a project is only slowed down by the shortest commute between home and studio.