MAXXI Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo

The Independent. Urban Gorillas

09 Feb - 19 Mar 2017

THE INDEPENDENT. URBAN GORILLAS
A project by Hou Hanru
9 February 2017 - 19 March 2017

curated by Giulia Ferracci and Elena Motisi

An independent acts against all prejudice of a political, economic, religious or social nature. Urban Gorillas
Founded in 2013 and based in Cyprus, Urban Gorillas is a non-profit organization run by a multi-disciplinary team of urban enthusiasts planning for healthy, creative and socially inclusive cities.

Within the context of The Independent the group is presenting Urban Spectacle, a series of public interventions exploring basic human activities in urban spaces, starting out from the relationship that is established between observer, player and spatial context and attempting to spark a new dialogue between them.

A project designed to encourage people to overcome stereotypical ways of looking at “the other” and to interact with them in public spaces
The research conducted by Urban Gorillas to date has revealed for example that the public spaces in Cyprus are currently underused and socially segregated, a factor that has invited new and innovative methods of planning of public space. What has emerged is a wide-ranging action with urban interventions in various contexts within the city.
THE INDEPENDENT is a research project focusing on the identification and promotion of independent spaces and thinking; it is the manifesto MAXXI has chosen to use to extend the confines of the museum institution, investigate the contemporary and encourage the culture “of difference”. The project explores the contents of the most innovative creative forces, monitors the growth of Italian and international independent spaces and spreads critical and independent thinking. It offers a space for sharing contemporary experiences and investigates the research of non-institutional channels.
FouskoPolis public installation in Paphos Castle in collaboration with Plastique Fantastique | Green Urban Lab, 2015