The Rietveld Academie's TXT and Fashion departments have invited researcher, curator, and writer Simone Frangi to give a lecture and workshop on the work of Italian philosopher Luciano Parinetto (1934-2001). Frangi's research focuses on how society assigns roles based on gender, sexuality, race, and class, in an intersectional perspective

Workshop for students

On Monday 16 October 2023 Simone Frangi will give a workshop to Fashion and TXT students. Students from other departments are welcome to join. As the spaces are limited, please RSVP by 12 October via public@rietveldacademie.nl.
The workshop is relevant for any student with an interest in intersectional thinking and practice, witch-hunting and/or gender studies (no prior knowledge needed).

The goal during the workshop is to take Parinetto's complex ideas (which touch on subjects like witches, devils, LGBTQ+ individuals, infertile or single women, disabled people, as well as marginalized groups like beggars, vagabonds, Roma, Sinti, and independence activists in newly formed nations) and turn them into tangible visual representations. This approach aims to make the theory more accessible and explore its ethical aspects. The workshop will be a collaborative effort, involving not only translating from Italian to English but also translating from text to physical objects, inspired by Parinetto's idea of alchemical transformation.

Lecture, open to all

On Tuesday 17 October at 17:00 hrs at the Theory Stairs, Frangi will give a lecture on Parinetto's thought that is open to all. Luciano Parinetto blended Freudian and Marxist thinking, analysed the connections between heteropatriarchy, colonialism, and practices like the witch-hunting of the different. He aimed to challenge a simplistic democratic view of equality and promoted a diverse, non-binary approach to freedom. He linked the historical persecution of witches in Europe to modern colonial genocides, emphasizing their political motives. Parinetto's work sheds light on the ongoing struggle for equality and diversity.

The project is supported by the Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity of the Italian Ministry of Culture under the Italian Council program (12th edition, 2023), which aims to promote Italian contemporary art worldwide.

SIMONE FRANGI is a researcher, curator and writer. His research work develops at the intersection of critical thinking, curatorial research and educational practices with special attention to normative attributions of gender, sexuality, race and class in an intersectional perspective. He holds a French-italian PhD in Philosophy (Aesthetics and Theory of Art), obtained in international co-tutoring at Université de Bourgogne - Dijon (FR) and Università Degli Studi di Palermo (IT) as well as a “Perfezionamento Filosofico” in Critical Theory of Society at Università degli Studi di Milano - Bicocca.