OPLA’

Documentary, 10’, Italy 2015

CONCEPT

OPLÀ-azione-lettura-teatro is a public-urban action designed and realized by Paolo Scheggi and it took place as happening during 1969 in Via Manzoni in Milan and in the historic center of Florence, where from the Galleria Flori the letters carried by actors come out in the city, blocking traffic. The action was to have been performed in Rome and Turin as well, but at the current state of research, it has not yet been confirmed whether these performances actually took place.

Letters returned force- fully on the scene, each one of them assuming a gigantic character, literally carried in a playful, theatrical action, in procession through the streets in their volumetric, plastic sense, to then reassemble themselves into small instant monuments, reconstructing a sound, a gesture, an instant: “OPLÀ”.

They want to become part of city life.

OPLÁ. Azione-lettura-teatro has been proposed, faithfully to the original version in 1969, Saturday, September 26, 2015 in Florence, on the occasion of the International Biennial of Antiques of Florence. The action started from Santa Maria Novella square, in front of Museo Novecento and it has proceeded in Della Spada street, Repubblica square, Palazzo Strozzi, Loggia del Porcellino and Lungarni, ended in front of Palazzo Corsini, location of the International Biennial of Antiques.

CREDITS

Original idea by FRANCA E COSIMA SCHEGGI
Production coordinator ILARIA BIGNOTTI
Written and directed by CARLOTTA PICCININI
Director of Photography SALVO LUCCHESE
Cameraman STEFANO DE PIERI, MARIO PIREDDA
Editing MARCO MURAT
Color Grading SALVO LUCCHESE
Sound design and mix JAN MAIO
Music and Remix by LUIGI MASTANDREA
Voice Over ALESSANDRO GORI

The texts are extract from:
Lara-Vinca Masini, Galleria Flori: Paolo Scheggi, 1969;
Giuseppe Chiari, OPLÀ, 1983;
Luca Massimo Barbero, Paolo Scheggi, 2015
Alessandro Gori, OPLÀ, 2015.

Thanks to:
Il Comune di Firenze
The citizen’s of the city of Florence
All the participants in the action
Associazione Mus.e, Firenze
Associazione Paolo Scheggi, Milano
Luca Massimo Barbero
Biennale Internazionale dell’Antiquariato di Firenze
Ilaria Bignotti
Roberto e Michele Casamonti
Valentina Gensini
Alessandro e Manuela Gori
Jacopo Gori con Laura, Cosimo e Vittoria
Francesca Gori con i figli Tommaso e Giovanni Vaselli
Giovanni Gori con Giulia Preato
Costanza Gori
Liceo Artistico Leon Battista Alberti, Firenze
Lamberto Muggiani Piccioli con Marina
Museo Novecento, Firenze
Francesca Pasquali
Sergio Risaliti
Elisabetta Scheggi con Jacopo Papp
Tornabuoni Art
Stefano Turrini

The historical photographs reproduced in this video
are taken by Paolo Scheggi in 1969 during the action in Florence.
From 00.49 to 0.07 and from 06.50 to 07.05, the letters forming the word OPLA are set at Museo Novecento of Florence in dialogue with the work:
Alfredo Pirri, Passi, 2003-2015, mirrors, site-specific installation.