Vicolo Folletto Art Factories celebrates the history of Officine Meccaniche Reggiane and the artists who transformed them into one of the largest Street Art workshops in Europe.

From the photographs of Carlo Vannini, the book "Reggiane", published by the editor with texts by Paolo Cagnan, Agnese Spinelli, Pietro Rivasi and Enrico Stefanelli, and the homonymous exhibition, set up from 11 March to 30 April at the headquarters of the Gallery (Vicolo Folletto, 1 - Reggio Emilia).

The inauguration of the photographic exhibition and the presentation of the editorial project that collects the testimony will be held on Sunday 12 March at 5.30 pm.

The exhibition includes over thirty large photographs taken by Carlo Vannini inside the Officine Meccaniche Reggiane, with the works covering the peeling walls devastated by time and neglect.

The volume (30x42 cm format, 160 pages) contains almost 200 photographs which, with the typical intensity of Vannini, tell the story of buildings that have been gutted and transformed into gigantic ateliers.

As Enrico Stefanelli (director of Photolux Festival) writes, «Carlo Vannini observes the signs of the artists who have spent their time in the workshops. The point of view is almost always the front one, often symmetrical, as in the best Reggio tradition. Sometimes he focuses on details or cuts out portions of the wall. Through the post-production Vannini seems to move away from classical photography to approach a reinterpretation that instead seems, in some ways, very similar to the graphic works of artists ».

The introduction of the book is entrusted to Paolo Cagnan (journalist, former director of the Gazzetta di Reggio) who was the first to bring the attention of the city to those places and those artists. The approach to street art, says Cagnan, was «dazzling, like the first“ Carbonari ”encounters with artists (and some splendid friends who came to me as a dowry) who looked at me with suspicion. They had noticed my interest, of course. They smelled me: they were there because they wanted to understand if they could trust me. It took weeks, months. Complicated discussions with a self-referential world, ideologically refractory to the press and full of charms (as well as creativity, of course) that hardly opens outwards. But someone had decided that I had been promoted on the field ».

The experiences and passion with which the works were born are described, through an indistinct common voice, by the story of the journalist Agnese Spinelli, written starting from interviews with the historical protagonists of the artistic scene of the Officine Reggiane mixed with direct memories, while Pietro Rivasi (curator of events related to the world of urban art) has pointed out the value of photography with respect to street art, its dissemination and its conservation.

«A particular thanks - underline the gallery owner and the publisher - goes to all the street artists and writers who have made their time available, supporting the project. We do not mention them one by one, as they deserve, just to preserve their identity and privacy ».

«To date - the artists conclude through the voice of Agnese Spinelli - we do not know what future will be reserved for what is, in fact, the largest street art laboratory in Europe. Our art is closely linked to transience, to the passing of time. Far be it from us to consider ourselves immortal. Our art is often a matter of minutes, it is fast, powerful and disappears as quickly as it was made. These photographs can, in part, keep his memory ».