Controversy over Ozmo's exhibition in Pisa. The artist: the alderman just wanted to rehabilitate himself after the Keith Haring debacle.

A heated controversy has erupted in Pisa around the exhibition of Tuscan street artist Ozmo (pseudonym of Gionata Gesi, Pontedera, 1975) entitled Ozmo, Every walls in town tells a story and set up at the Fortilizio and Torre Guelfa. It all seems to have stemmed from a Facebook post by Pisan art critic Luca Nannipieri, who wrote on the popular social network last Jan. 12 that the exhibition had been loosely set up. Posting an image of a sign written in pen and taped to a wall to inform visitors of the continuation of the tour, Nannipieri declared, “this is what happens when, in art, professionals are not involved: carelessness instead of care and meticulous attention to detail. In Pisa, an exhibition on a talented artist, OZMO, turns into an embarrassing set-up, to say the least. They pay 7,000 euros to have 20 minutes Vittorio Sgarbi and then this is the level of institutional exhibitions in the city. If I were the artist, whom I appreciate, I would remove everything.” The reference is to a conference held by Sgarbi in November: there was a long discussion in the city about the amount of money granted to the popular TV critic.

Ozmo’s response was not long in coming: the artist expressly blamed the councillor for culture, Andrea Buscemi, who, according to Ozmo, “wanted the exhibition mainly to remake his image and show that he could clear customs in Pisa even ’uncomfortable’ contemporary art after the scandals and the querelle on Haring,” as the street artist declared to the pages of Il Tirreno. In this case, the reference is to Buscemi’s statements on Keith Haring: the alderman, in one of his publications, had called the U.S. artist’s work Tuttomondo a “very modest and banal mural of metropolitan inspiration,” provoking heated reactions. For Ozmo, the municipality would not have respected the agreements that had been reached with the previous administration (Pisa, since June, has been led by a center-right junta that took over from the administration of the opposite political party): “With the previous administration,” he explained again to Il Tirreno, “my anthological exhibition was to be done at the Sms alle Piagge. Everything was already there. There were lights and appropriate spaces. There was already a mural of mine there. And there was 10 thousand euros budgeted for the organization by the municipality, plus another 10 from the bid won by the Pisa Foundation. The new junta arrives and stalls. A choice is made, the Guelph Tower is proposed, which although picturesque is not suitable. Buscemi intervenes and they ’rebate’ us the rental of the location, but it totally resets the budget at the last minute.” Ozmo complains that he has not been adequately supported: “the city,” he said, “cannot live only on Palazzo Blu and blockbuster exhibitions that cost 12 euros. The exhibition was self-produced and the result is a miracle given the conditions they put us in.” He then concluded, “A museum exhibition costs a minimum of 50-60 thousand euros and up. Despite all the difficulties hundreds of people are passing through who remain enthusiastic about the works, and the greatest satisfaction is having practically done everything without the financial support of the new junta.”

Buscemi, for his part, responded with a note published on the website of the City of Pisa. As for the rough arrangements, he said, “We did not directly organize the exhibition the arrangements were taken care of by the organizers and the artist himself, certainly not by the City of Pisa. Even more disconcerting in this regard are the statements of the artist, who had made, together with the organizers, inspections of the Guelph Tower and the Fortress considering them suitable for the organization of the exhibition. On the other hand, for the indicated period the exhibition spaces of the SMS Center were not usable.” Regarding agreements with Buscemi’s predecessors, the current alderman responds, “I do not know what the previous administration had promised the artist, but of any agreements at Palazzo Gambacorti there is no trace, I have not found any deed in this regard; our Council decided to make a contribution to the realization of the event equal to the cost of the concession of the structure, leaving the organizers and sponsors already present with the responsibility of taking charge of any other expenses. I understand that the organizers themselves have been granted substantial financial contributions from a major city foundation.” Buscemi then wished to recall that “the exhibition in question is appreciated by so many both for its content and for the ’setting itself, as well as for the magnificent and prestigious place where it takes place.” Finally, the councilor concluded by wishing “that from now on we can work with the greatest possible serenity with all artists deserving to be valued by the city of Pisa beyond the legitimate political positions of each.”

Controversy over Ozmo's exhibition in Pisa. The artist: the alderman just wanted to rehabilitate himself after the Keith Haring debacle.

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