In the entrance hall of the ICA in London last summer, I came across a framed print edition of [this] image accompanied by the following caption :
“ Will Stuart, ' Struttare per parla de pied ’ [Irans. ' Structure for talking while standing ’] (Michelangelo Pistoletto, 1965-66), 2009. "
Being familiar with Pistoletto's original work, a sturdy minimalist 2 x 2 meter grey-painted iron frame, I spent some fime trying to decode the various intertextual implications stemming from this apparently new work and its title. Mostly I was perplexed by the Italian part — a title within a title — which did not quite correspond fo Pistoletto’s original Strutfura per parlare in pied.
Being (like the majority of the contemporary art community) hyper-sensitive to all forms of ambiguity, multi-layered meanings, meta-self-reflexivity and so forth, but (unlike the majority)
fluent in Italian, I was uncertain whether this was a deliberate mistranslation or simply a couple of unfortunate typos. I could easily imagine that this sort of confusion and indecision on my part was precisely the effect intended.
The “ new ” clause Sirutfare per parla de piedi could in fact be more accurately translated — with some oscilation of meaning — as, Covering with lard in order fo talk about feet.
– " Surplus to Requirements,” Francesco Manacorda, Dot Dot Dot #20, 2010
Will Stuart with Geoff Bailey (after Michelangelo Pistoletto), Struttare per parla de piedi, 2010, digital print, 35.5 x 45 cm