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Q0：
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During the whole duration of the illumination event, how many people are you expecting to come witness this event in Torino?
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A0：
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Luci d'Artista is an open air illumination event with light installations along 20 km in the entire city centre, that has a duration of about 3-4 months (from end of October to end of January). Considering these aspects it is impossible to have precise data on the number of the people that have seen the installations (there is no entrance or ticket or other kind of control). The fact is that the installations are highly visited and draw the interest and the curiosity of the public (local inhabitants and foreign visitors).
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Q1：
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In considering the number of people coming to the event through the years, what has been the trend? For example, have there been increases, decreases or have the numbers been steady till the last illumination event.
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A1：
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For sure we can say that there has been an increase of the number of people that come to know about Luci dﾕArtista and consequently visit this event. At the beginning, during the first years of installations (the first edition was on 1998) it was an event mostly known in the Piedmont Region (the area around Torino) and in Italy. Through the years, the event has grown up, works of internationally famous artists have been added and the city has made an adequate promotion both on national and international level. The risult is that Luci dﾕArtista has become one of the highlights of the cultural events in our city.
As I mentioned there are no concrete data on the number of visitors but instead we have very concrete results of the national and international press: only for the last edition of Luci dﾕArtista a number of 150 journalists have visited Torino (half of them coming from foreign countries) and have produced about 185 articles contained in a press review of about 300 pages. We consider this the most positive and encouraging result.
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Q2：
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Regarding the budget of this event this year, how much is the budget, an entimate is okay.
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A2：
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For this yearﾕs edition we can estimate that the whole operation has a cost of about one milion and half Euro. This budget includes artist fees, infrastructure works, production of the work itself and installation in the public space, promotion and advertising campaign. The technical part of the realisation of the project is entrusted to the team of the Teatro Regio di Torino (specialised staff of the Opera Theatre of Turin that has a considerable experience on the setting of highly elaborated and technological performances and events). Except the collaboration of Teatro Regio (the Opera Theatre Foundation) we can also count on the precious support of a group of public and private institutions that contribute for the realisation of the installations: Fondazione CRT and Compagnia di San Paolo (the two banks based in Torino), AEM (the electric energy agency), Italgas (the natural gas society), Chamber of Commerce, etc.
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Q3：
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Since the start of this event, has there been a change in the budget, for example, an increase in certain years, or a decrease or has the budget remained unchanged through the years. In particular, please tell me the budget for the first year of this project.
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A3：
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The budget changes from year to year depending on the number of new pieces produced, on the technical difficulty of the production and on the upkeeping and repair necessities of the old ones. This year for instance there has been only one new work produced (the one by Jenny Holzer) but many of the older ones had to be repaired or entirely remade. Also, many of the works are not always presented in the same place but change location (street or square) through the years. So this is another element that influences the costs of production. In any case, the first edition of 1998 has been the most onerous from the financial point of view because 16 installations have been produced in the same year with a considerable cost (about 2 thousand millions of Italian Liras).
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Q4：
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In terms of promotional activities of this event, how have you been able to promote these illumination events every year. For example, do you advertise in the newspapers, travel books or TV.
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A4：
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The promotion is mostly carried out through press office work. There is a specific press office that defuses information, contacts and invites local, national and international journalists. Within the general promotion campaign of the city we plan advertisement on newspapers, magazines and travel books. No tv ad is included but we have many tv and radio specials dedicated to the event by the various journalists that visit Torino and remain attracted by the installations.
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Q5：
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I read in your homepage that you are now doing the seventh illumination event in Torino. Do you hold this event every year?
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A5：
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This yearﾕs edition (2003) is the sixth one. The event is held every year since 1998.
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Q6：
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Regarding the international network (citta della luce) which this event will be a part of, could you tell me what countries are in the international network. Do you think getting this project a part of an international network is a good thing?
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A6：
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You can find detailed information on the international network and its members (30 participating cities from all over the world) on the website www.luciassociation.org . Being apart of this international network is a very positve and useful experience first of all because this is a good occasion of international promotion of our activities on the field of artistic illumination. Except being a showcase for our Luci dﾕArtista the network is an occasion of exchange of experience and practical know how with other cities that have worked in this field. Torino has an important role in this association and it already started having exchanges of artworks with other members. This year there have been three works in exchange but for next year the number will increase.
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Q7：
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In the framework of this event, is there a collaboration between the artists and the local residents?
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A7：
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The artists that participate at Luci dﾕArtista presenting their works are invited by a critic commission composed of art critics whose chairman is the Director of the Castello di Rivoli Museum and the Director of the Modern Art Gallery of Turin. The artists visit Turin, they study the particular features of the city and according to their inspiration they propose the work and the location. At least for the moment there has been no request of direct involvement of the inhabitants but the artists have always taken in consideration the characteristics and the life style of the chosen areas.
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Q8：
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The people who come to the event are mainly from the neighboring towns of Torino, other European countries, other parts of Italy or from other countries?
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A8：
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Visitors arrive from other parts of Italy and also from many European countries (mostly France, Germany, UK, etc.)
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Q9：
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To get the illumination going, what are some of the technical prepations that you find difficult to overcome. Could you tell me specifically the difficult aspects of preparing for this event? Any anecdotes?
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A9：
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Most of the artistic projects are rather complicated and they require a specific preparation and an intricate technical equipment, like huge cranes for the setting, delicate materials for the production, complex calculation for the positioning and burocratic authorisation for the occupation of some historically protected monuments/areas. The fact that all the works are in the open air and often on large surfaces has created considerable technical problems. Lets not forget also that all these installations have to respect the architectonical surroundings without ruining facades of monuments and squares and this means that adequate solutions have to be designed so that the installation does not damage the environment. One of the most difficult installations has bee n the one by the belgian artist Jan Vercruysse who projected his Fountains of Light in Piazza Bodoni. A snake shaped water tank (200 mts. long and 1 mt. high) has been constructed in the square containing heated water, red illumination and fog machines in order to create a suggestive impression of red fog around the whole square (local inhabitants call it: I gironi dellﾕinferno, from the Divina Comedia by Dante Alighieri).
Another very impressive work (maybe the one that the inhabitants of Turin prefer among all the others) is the Little blue spirits by Rebecca Horn around the Cappuccini Church of Virgin Mary. A great number of blu neon circles surround the church like small halos of the Saints around the Holy Mother. The chief technician had to study a special blue colour and particular light spots in order to succeed in creating this oneiric atmosphere that makes the church seem as if floating in the dark space. Luigi Mainolfiﾕs work has also created technical problems. It consists of a series of luminous frases that make a fairy-tale and the people should read going along the street. Only that the small coloures lights composing the frases suffered cold weather and blew off. The result was that people were not able to read the whole phrase and follow the story. This year the installation was completely rebuilt, with a new kind of light bulbs that support low teperatures and it was positioned along a pedestrian strees where everybody can read it without creating traffic problems.
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Q10：
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What do you think is the unique feature of Torino Illumination event, in comparison to other similar events in other countries, based on your knowledge
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A10：
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Luci dArtista represents a huge contemporary art exhibition in the open air, with site specific art works that have been inspired and created taking in consideration the city, its monuments and its typical characteristics. The artists and their works have overcome the concept of Chirstmas decoration lights and they have created real sculptures of light that can be seen and appreciated by the large public and not only by the visitors of a museum.
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Q11：
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Also please tell me your position in the Turismo Torino organization in relation to this event.
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A11：
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This event is planned, produced and supported by the City of Turin. Turismo Torino, the public agency that works for the promotion of the City, collaborates for the promotion of this project.
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Thank you
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Torino Arte Contemporanea
http://www.torinoartecontemporanea.it
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![Torino [luci'd artista]](images/title_e.gif){kind=small}
