Not only cigarettes, created by artist Luca Leggero for the Green Cube Gallery, is the first video art exhibition contained inside the screen of a vending machine for cigarettes and other future consumer products. The launch will take place, not at the same time, in two different contexts: a physical space, where the vending machine can be found – the Bar Tabaccheria Marin in Viareggio on 15 February at 6pm – and online, on the Green Cube Gallery website from 12am on 18 February.
When the artist’s gaze falls on everyday objects, these are transformed, changing how they are used. But when the gaze is that of Luca Leggero and the object is a normal cigarette vending machine… what happens then? A new exhibition format emerges: Not only cigarettes is a new concept of free “distribution” and “sharing” of art and other things, thanks to a machine with a built-in display, active 24 hours a day, and located in a street where videos that are playing in a continuous loop can be downloaded.
The videos have been created by 32 different artists: Alessandro Giannetti, Alessandro Nucci, Ana Mrovlje, Andrea Selenio Pecchia, Carlo Galli, Carlo Zanni, Charles Regoli, Chiara Natalini, Cristina Gardumi, Daniela D’Amore, Davide Bondielli, Devid Ciampalini, Diego Caglioni, Domenico Barra, Dominik Podsiadly, Fabio Giusti, Fred Cosci, Giacomo Verde, Gianluca Cupisti, Jennyfer Haddad, Luca Marchettoni, Luca Pozzi, Mara Oscar Cassiani, Marco Belfiore, Marco Cadioli, Maria Chiara Gagliardi, Rachel Morellet, Rolenzo, Sandrine Deumier, Silvio Lorusso, Tatiana Villani and Valentina Lapolla for a new concept of space dedicated to art, ideas and other concepts in the public space, principally aimed at neighbourhoods and all unsuspecting cigarette buyers, but it is more sophisticated than social networks.
Not only cigarettes intends to explore the possibility of exhibiting contemporary art in unusual contexts using alternative means, experimenting with new forms of urban art. For the public inauguration of Not only cigarettes, a buffet is on offer next to the vending machine with visitors able to purchase products directly from the machine. (from the press release)
