Prologue
minìsae as a platform was first thought of in the apartment nr. 1 in Largo Boiani 15, Cividale del Friuli, on Wednesday July 15, 2022. In the hands of Camilla Crispino, Giorgia Minisini and An Paenhuysen, an old stamp was going around, found in the archive of the Minisini Pharmacy. It carried the letters MM. In Cividalesi del Novecento you can read how Mattia Minisini moved his pharmacy to Cividale in 1938 and was the inventor of the potion Elixir China. The book also reveals Mattia’s birth date. He was born in the year 1894, and the day was July 15. The coincidence brought about an idea and minìsae is its name.
NATÌSA - a spontaneous founding ritual, 21 July 2022
On Friday, 15 July 2022, we went swimming in the Natisone, the river that traverses Cividale. According to the Roman historian Plinio il Vecchio, Natisone is the most beautiful river to swim in. Giorgia noticed a stone in the distance. Its spherical proportions caught her attention and there was a shadow of a plant reflecting on the stone. We decided to bring it home. Each of us carried it for a few meters because it was heavy. At some point, we were tired and we had to leave it behind. We left it on the side of the road, in the long grass, near the vineyards. We promised to come back the day after. We didn’t. Obviously.
We continued the residency, carrying the stone in our minds. On the last day, the abandoned stone could no longer be ignored. We created some guidelines to bring it home as if it was a fruit of the Natisa (the Latin name for the river Natisone).
This is the scenario:
1. Bathing - meeting at the river
2. Resting at the river bank - witnessing the transition from the coolness of the water to the warmth of the sun on our skins
3. Searching for the stone - once found, we lift the stone and each of us carries it for 100 steps and then passes it on. Each of us has to carry it six times in order to make it home. That makes 1800 steps in total.
4. Placing the stone - At home, we find a place for the stone on the festive table of a birthday party. The night before, Biba and Lalla had been celebrating their 80th birthday.