Volcano Extravaganza 2013 - 'Evil Under the Sun' on the island of Stromboli

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Fiorucci Art Trust is currently running  'Volcano Extravaganza 2013', a summer season of art and design on the island of Stromboli, on now until 24 August 2013. Conceived by the Trust and curated by artist Lucy McKenzie with Milovan Farronato, this year’s edition comprises an eclectic array of talks, film screenings, exhibitions, fashion, dance, music and performance art at the House of Extravaganza and other locations on the secluded volcanic island.

This third annual Volcano Extravaganza takes inspiration from the 1982 film adaption of Agatha Christie’s novel Evil Under the Sun, a classic whodunit set on a private island in the Adriatic. Participants include: Atelier E.B., Antonia Baehr, Michael Bracewell, Nicholas Bussmann, Enrico David, 
Lucile Desamory, Nicoletta Fiorucci, Maria Hassabi, Beca Lipscombe, Martin McGeown, Lucy McKenzie, Ray McKenzie, Alan Michael, pelican avenue, Anna Blessmann & Peter Saville, Bernie Reid, Markus Selg, Anthony Symonds and Alison Yip. 

Exploring the points where fine art meets a range of other disciplines, Volcano Extravaganza 2013 will examine the collaborative process, bringing together artists from diverse areas of practice. A series of public talks will range from Michael Bracewell on James Bond to Cabinet Gallery’s Martin McGeown on fencing.

Playing on the classic elements of a summer holiday, Peter Saville and Anna Blessman have created a sculptural installation with parasols, meanwhile Lucy McKenzie and Alan Michael are distributing summer reading in the form of Unlawful Assembly, a book of detective stories set in Stromboli. Fashion labels Atelier E.B. and pelican avenue have designed special garments for the island. These, and the whole range of artists’ projects, are being documented in drawings by the artists Alison Yip, Lucie McKenzie and Bernie Reid.

Lucy McKenzie says: ‘Like anywhere characterized by remarkable natural landscape, Stromboli evokes both sensuality and malevolence for those who seek it. It is a place ideal for both total relaxation and intense social chemistry. But aside from the drama, and with a midsummer seaside weekend in mind, we will supply the beachwear, the paperback page-turner, and the scent of the season.’

Milovan Farronato added: ‘Neither nomadism nor wandering, but brightness and a 360-degree horizon, Alighiero Boetti suggested the name stra-vaganza as an allusion to those who want to invest in the multiplicity and unexpected nature of encounters.’

Participants in previous Volcano Extravaganzas have included:  Thea Djordjadze, Anna Franceschini, Karl Holmqvist, Christian Holstad, Runa Islam, Nick Mauss, Paulina Olowska, Sissi, Sergei Tcherepnin, Jessica Warboys and Andro Wekua, among others.

The Fiorucci Art Trust was founded by Nicoletta Fiorucci in 2010 to promote contemporary art in both conventional and unconventional ways. Nicoletta Fiorucci explained: ‘I had been a collector of art and design for many years, when I began to realise I needed something more. I understood that my role had to evolve to collect emotional and intellectual experiences.’

With Milovan Farronato as Director, the Trust works across diverse platforms and disciplines to provide collaborative support for artist projects as well as publishing and exhibitions. The Fiorucci Art Trust also supports institutions in London such as Chisenhale Gallery, Studio Voltaire and Serpentine Gallery. In addition, the Trust runs an annual fellowship at Rijksakademie van beeldende Kunsten of Amsterdam.