At Bkv Fine Art: A Poetry Reading with Abel Ferrara to Lose Your Head
The stage was set at the stunning Bkv gallery in Milan, a new space specializing in the interplay between ancient, modern, and contemporary art. Here, the other evening, director Abel Ferrara and poet Gabriele Tinti brought to life a captivating poetry happening. Surrounded by a series of sculptures and paintings themed around decapitation — from Judith and Holofernes to Saint John the Baptist and Salome (part of the extraordinary Koelliker Collection) — one of the most intriguing directors of American cinema read verses by Tinti inspired by the biblical tale of David and Goliath.
The event’s goal: to evoke and exorcise the brutality and violence of our existence, set against the works in the exhibition “Losing Your Head.” The reading took place in a room dominated by interpretations of the David myth created in the 17th century by artists such as Giuseppe Diamantini, Mario Balassi, Giacomo Farelli, and Giovanni Cerrini, alongside modern contributions by Julian Schnabel. Gathered around the two protagonists was a large audience of poetry, art, and independent American cinema enthusiasts. We at Say Who were there too, and alongside Massimo Vecchia, Paolo Bonacina, and Edoardo Koelliker, founding partners of the gallery, we captured photos of guests including Sara Goldschmied and Eleonora Chiari, Luca Stoppini, Giuseppe and Massimiliano Frangi, François Inglessis, and Sha Ribeiro. All were united by the seductive power of the verses by the poet, writer, and art critic from the Marche region (who in November headlined a reading with Roger Ballen at the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa in Paris) and the magnetism of a master of raw, unadorned cinema, known for gems like Bad Lieutenant with Harvey Keitel, King of New York with Christopher Walken, and Maryfeaturing Juliette Binoche.
One last note: those wishing to admire the works in the exhibition “Losing Your Head” at Bkv on Via Fontana can do so until January 17, 2025.
Photos: Ludovica Arcero
Text: Germano D’Acquisto
