L’Atelier dell’Errore in mostra. Atelier dell’Errore: On Exhibit | Luca Santiago Mora | TEDxLakeComo

Quick Overview

Luca Santiago Mora, founder of L'Atelier dell'Errore, discusses the collective's mission to embrace error and imperfection, highlighting their collaborative artistic process which involves 12 neurodivergent artists who create monumental works based on ancient myths and concepts like the Oedipus myth, all while maintaining a commitment to non-aggressive, positive artistic expression.

Key Points: Luca Santiago Mora founded L'Atelier dell'Errore (The Atelier of Error) in 2002, initially working with artists from psychiatric areas in Reggio Emilia and later expanding to include artists from professional fields in Rome and Milan. The collective currently comprises 12 artists, including those with nicknames like Giangi Giangetto, GB7, Scotland Yard, Miki Raster, July Shining, Garibaldi, Smegel, Mozzy, The Gamer, Pitbull, Sid, and Giorgia Ballabeni. The collective's philosophy is rooted in finding beauty and artistic value in mistakes and imperfections, exemplified by the giant, gold-leaf covered artwork inspired by the myth of Oedipus, which the speaker states they were not supposed to create. Mora recounts that the artists, lacking masks, were initially scared of the exhibition's explicit content, but they ultimately created works that were often 'sublime' and contained potent sexual imagery, such as the 'Hypersexual Aphrodite' piece. The artists consciously avoid aggression, believing that the desire for perfection, often associated with explicit themes, is better channeled through art that embraces imperfection, contrasting with the perfection sought in contemporary art. The group developed a collaborative approach, creating a 22-meter long, 1.5-meter high artwork using silk and carbon fiber, which they titled 'The Gold-Leafed Animals' after the fire that destroyed the original work. The collective's work is now being exhibited internationally, demonstrating their success in finding value in what society often discards or ignores.

Context: This video features an interview at TEDxLakeComo with Luca Santiago Mora, the founder of L'Atelier dell'Errore (The Atelier of Error), an artistic collective primarily composed of neurodivergent artists. The discussion centers on the collective's philosophy of embracing imperfection and error in art, chronicling their journey from humble beginnings to international recognition through large-scale, collaborative works inspired by classical mythology and contemporary issues.