Written by Antonio Brizioli

Translated in english by Nadia Pasanisi

 

The news-stand Edicola 518 is located in front of the church of one or the three patron saints of the city, Ercolano of Perugia. He organized a local resistance against the ostrogothic siege with which they conquer the city in 549. Very clever, Ercolano cheated the barbarians throwing out the city walls the last supplies to show a false wealth. Totila fell for it hook, line and sinker, but a traitor revealed the trick and Ercolano was flayed alive and decapitated, according to the lively punishments of the time.

The body of Ercolano, divided in two pieces was thrown out the city walls and 40 days after it was found by the citizens put back together into one piece.

Today the place of that miracle sees another one. A group of more or less young people, smart and handsome, ingenious to the point that society doesn’t seem to reserve them any space into its gears, buy with a regular purchase procedure the four square meters news-stand which is part of the urban fabric from time immemorial.

The ideal dock for stray dogs. Alone and angry. Full of powerful words.

518 is a number. Preceded by many other numbers and followed by many. The number in which for a long time a lorry unloaded kilos of printed paper without identity so that someone could sell it getting a little. Also and especially for this reason, the news-stand closed as many others in the city. Just like many others in Italian cities.

To give it back poetry, we take as a basis a cold number. That is worth also for the life that is given to us today. Our only duty is to revive the mechanism that sees us involved as power supplies of a society we don’t recognize. A society we don’t identify as ours and yet we are its bones.

We go back to the fertile soil of ambiguity that gave legs and muscles to the project Emergenze, born last year as a wick in the pale emptiness. We put again our eyes on the words of the manifesto that led our birth.

E-mergere means to dive conversely, to give a push to jump out of the water or to be unmasked by the low tide.

Emergency is a “vox media”: one of those words that Latins used with a positive or a negative meaning according to the context. What emerges goes out the numbness without permission.

Centuries crystallized the word with a negative meaning. We dare on the reckless and forgotten side, swinging between the poles of this contradiction.

Emerging is the ambiguity of the discovery.

A year has passed and our ambiguity hasn’t been solved, it is powered every day by new contradictions. We have renounced to an identity to create the alchemy of a new miracle.

Edicola 518 will be a space for the city, of the city by which can be find again the sense of the city that for a long time has left the streets. It will be a great festival.

At Edicola 518 you can do the following things:

• Reading and/or buying copies of the magazine “Emergenze”, new editions, drawings, works, photos of the artists who collaborate with Emergenze;

• Reading and/or buying a huge series of publications of art, culture, policy, coming from every part of the world;

• Suggesting any kind of idea to Emergenze to see them eventually realized;

• Sending complains about the city, life, world, and see them turned into actions;

• Watching performaces and cultural events organized by Emergenze with organisations of all the world;

• Attending every Sunday mass of the Minister of Emergenze;

• Exchanging nods to forget the orrible burden of time.

 

PS: the date of Totila’s siege is uncertain.

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