Istituto Italiano di Cultura Toronto Presents VOID/BODY/BREATH/CARE

Inviting the public to explore the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered our world, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Toronto (IIC) presents Void/Body/Breath/Care: Four conversations between Italy and Canada about a changing world - a free online series of webinars featuring influential guests from Italy and Canada. IIC Director Alessandro Ruggera has invited Sascha Hastings (Toronto) and Francesca Molteni (Milan) to curate these conversations that pair notable Canadian and Italian thinkers, including Philip Beesley, Bruce Kubuwara, Zab Maboungou, and Gaëtane Verna (Canada); and Chiara Cappelletto, Paolo Inglese, Davide Pizzigoni, and Simone Sfriso (Italy).

Void/Body/Breath/Care webinars take place via ZOOM at 12:30 PM on four consecutive Wednesday afternoons: September 23, September 30, October 7, and October 14, 2020. Registration for each session is available through the IIC website.

Four key words- Void, Body, Breath, Care - are the lens through which the speakers will discuss the pandemic's transformative effects as they relate to their respective fields of expertise. Through thoughtful dialogue, the series invites the public to engage and reflect upon the ways in which this collective experience that has profoundly changed the shape of our lives.

"Soon after the outbreak began, it became clear that it would not be a temporary, superficial disruption," says IIC Director Alessandro Ruggera. "The drastic containment measures and strict lockdowns imposed to limit the spread of the virus, as well as the constant exposure to the threat of an invisible danger, have forced us all to abruptly and radically modify our social and daily habits. Social relationships, work environments, public spaces, along with different aspects of our lives have suddenly changed in a way that would have once seemed inconceivable.

We invite you to join us in reflecting upon how we might start drafting a new theoretical framework to respond to these transformations. Our hope is that the outcome of the discussions will give us a sense of direction as we navigate through this collective experience," says Ruggera.

Visit the Istituto's website for detailed descriptions of each conversation and guest biographies. For further information: iictoronto.esteri.it | 416.921.3802

Void/Body/Breath/Care at a glance:

VOID (VUOTO)
September 23, 2020 at 12:30 PM FREE online registration
Bruce Kuwabara, founding partner of KPMB Architects
Davide Pizzigoni, architect, artist and designer
Moderated by Francesca Molteni

"The ongoing global pandemic is forcing us to rethink the word VOID, something we've all experienced through lockdowns and social distancing - an empty space in our homes and cities, but also a feeling of unhappiness because someone or something is missing. Instead of filling the void, we'd like to explore the positive and generative possibilities of new forms of the empty space." - Francesca Molteni.

BODY (CORPO)
September 30, 2020 at 12:30 PM FREE online registration
Chiara Cappelletto, Associate Professor of Aesthetics, University of Milan
Zab Maboungou, Choreographer and Artistic Director of Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata
Moderated by Sascha Hastings

"The body gives us movement and mobility. It is also a locus of pleasure, pain, intimacy, strength, mortality and politics. The physical restrictions forced upon us by COVID-19 have made us rethink our relationships with our own bodies and those of others."
-Sascha Hastings.

BREATH (RESPIRO)
October 7, 2020 at 12:30 PM FREE online registration
Philip Beesley, Multidisciplinary artist and architectural designer
Paolo Inglese, Professor of General Arboriculture and Arbor Cultivation,
University of Palermo
Moderated by Francesca Molteni

"Breathing is essential to life, and we all learned that one of the symptoms of COVID-19 is shortness of breath. It's a process common to the earth, the forest, and human beings. We depend on nature for this primary function: plants are providing us the air to breathe through photosynthesis. Our mind is related to it, as the ancient greek "psyché" (ψυχa??) means breath, soul, and life." -Francesca Molteni.

CARE (CURA)
October 14, 2020 at 12:30 PM FREE online registration
Simone Sfriso, Architect, TAMassociati
Gaëtane Verna, Director, Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery
Moderated by Sascha Hastings

"As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread and an effective vaccine and/or treatment have yet to be found, the world economy is the most fragile it has been in recent memory. Many people who were already marginalized or living precariously are now at high risk of being left behind completely. What does care mean in today's world?" -Sascha Hastings.