Nicola Frangione

Nicola Frangione’s sound poetry and concerts are oriented towards what some artists define as “art dramaturgy”. Gestures as a key form of expression are a distinguishing feature of his work. On the one hand, his vocality takes an active part in the performances of the body, playing the same role as the other linguistic elements; on the other, it stands out thoroughly, in a sound-focused dimension connected with both texts and music according to interdisciplinary approaches, harmonizing with the main orientation of “sound poetry”, which is the name for half a century’s practice and pragmatic observation.

In 1980 Nicola Frangione began some projects – the first was called “vocecevovoce” – based on the synergetic use of texts and music: these elements are not designed to provide “spectacularity” only; they support each other with a view to “revealing” voice, showing it “creatively”, emphasizing sound and its significance. “Sound poetry” is involved, being the name for a sound-focused event understood as an art object, where texts, voice and music blend.

Therefore, in Nicola Frangione’s sound poetry, technical specifications are extended and broken through. His work goes beyond art production. At the same time, you can find “comprehensive speech” in it, capable of telling about itself and being looked at, thus becoming synonymous with architecture, visual construction as well as sound and figurative echoes of poetic tension, to aim for broader horizons.

C.V.

Nicola Frangione was born in Forenza (Potenza), Italy, in 1953. He has been living and working in Monza since 1972, as an interdisciplinary artist experimenting with several techniques: visual arts, audio art and sound poetry, video-art and visual poetry.

He has published and produced several art books: the poetry magazine “Armadio e Officina” (since 1975); the book “Osservazioni critiche sulla funzione del nervo ottico nella semiotica dell’arte” (1977); the book “The relativity of language as the enigma of art” (1979); “Zen and Art” and “Snapshot” (1980); “Madame et Theatre” (1987). From 1987 to 1995 he directed with LuigiBianco the publication of the cultural dynamics magazine “Harta” and managed the multimedia art centre,“Osaon”, Milan. Since 1996 he has been co-ordinating “edizioni Harta Performing”, concerning  Performance Art and Action Poetry.

Research on music and sound poetry has resulted in several records and CDs:“Mail Music”(LP, 1983); “ItalicEnvironments” (LP, 1985); “Radio Art” (CD, 1997); “Rapporti orali e trasversalità sonore” (CD, 1999).

Some of his sound works have been broadcast by national radio stations in: Holland, Sweden, Spain, the USA, Canada, Japan and Italy (RAI uno and RAI tre).

Some of his works as video producer were broadcast within TV shows and programmes between 1985 and 1995: “Film Maker’, Milan; “U-TAPE”, Ferrara video centre; “Tokyo Video Festival”; “Stockholm Art Video Festival”; “CMU”, Madrid; “Arnhem Festival”, Holland; “Tele +3”, Italy etc.

He relies on his Performance Art and Action Poetry to take part in numerous international shows and festivals. Some of his latest itinerant works include: “Percorsi attraverso percorsi”, “Italic Environments”, “Allitterazioni Sonore”, “Oralità e trasversalità sonore”.

Since 2003 Art Director of “ART ACTION” International Performance Art festival in Monza Italy.

www.nicolafrangione.it      -      www.hartaperformingmonza.it

nicola.frangione@alice.it