5-7 december 2014by LAP association

CoCA archive library contemporary arts

Sotto Choc, the very first experiment of off-event concerning the

chocolate of Modica. The CoCA, Center of Contemporary Arts,

proposes an alternative space to the sugar, the unsweetened

chocolate, the frenzy of preparations and the alienation of

outdoor markets. A series of initiatives – silent screenings, dj

box, photosynthetic interventions – the only place in the city

where the chocolate is not there. However the famous chocolate

bar plays a starring role being present in other experiences like

the cinema and the joint of new ideas. Only for those who love

the feeling of reverberation and desire. Sotto Choc expresses

the aftertaste, a sense that hangs in a balance between the

cunning and the dialectic. Rumour has it chocolate flavored

with BigBabol. The great awareness is that chocolate alone is

a partial attraction tool.

For many the wish is to suggest future tools for building

seduction and permanent local contents. Chocolate should

excite the creativity and stimulate the mind towards a “sweet

state”, but we are all in choc: dazed but waiting for a modern

city.

PigBox by Alessandro Mignemi and Dj Deeper (Francesco Branca)

In times of austerity where “cuts” are the or-der of the day it’s up to administrations cho-ose what is less important and what should be “cut”. Whether national and local admini-strations seem to tell us that we can give the culture and the art up.With Pig Box who wants to contribute to the activity of the Center is called to insert a coin into the lighted piggy bank situated in front of the dj booth: for every coin inserted it will be played a song selected or composed by Dj Deeper.

Ravenous hungerby Andrea Scarfò

Mouths wide open biting a (fake) chocolate bar that acts like a “roof” to the frame. The roof is what protects you from the weather conditions at the cost of not being able to see the sky and the stars.Chocolate maybe is only an instant need for people (wish, desire) and for the city (unem-ployment, always too much).

No Mousseby Cult. Ass. LAP

The idea of turning the flag

of “No Muos” into the object

“No Mousse” comes from

the immediate assonance.

Moreover, their certain

resemblance collected

people’s opinions and criticism

about a movement that has

struggled and continues to

stand against a monster. A

movement that appeared

also as a way to give vent to

generic frustrations widespread among the mass. Sicilian

people not only suffer the injustice of a lethal antenna

already planned for a long time now, but also pains as

many fatal and maybe not so noticeable. The idea of

compressing the flag retraces the compression of the

movement that from a certain point followed the line of

the visual marketing, the simple flags placement on the

board gameterritory paying poor

attention to the other pains

mentioned earlier or towards

other kind of movements of

cultural struggle. Within this

context-work-change the

word mousse is a sweetened,

insubstantial and lightweight

product; although is obtained

by the mixture of important

raw materials, they become

impalpable once blended

together. No Mousse indicates

the regret concerning a legitimate cause that should be

spread as an unanimous movement against the general

abuse of power ongoing in Sicily and in other places,

without surrendering to the protests temptation but

becoming a daily civic attitude.

Chocchezze

Chocolate stimulates the relea-se of endorphinsboosts your moodis addictivefills the void insidetastes goodthat one of Modica is famouspomegranateSalvatore QuasimodoThe Baroquerhetoric is sweetly comfortablethe nativity scene

Mariangela Schiavo

Sweet questions: I wonder why a city that produces chocolate is so little excited about itself?Maybe we restrict us to pro-duce and not to consume? The chocolate economy is part of the cultural economy but which are the other pu-

blic “cultural” activities? A good cup of hot chocolate in a City Museum (of Art) could be a relaxing or exci-ting time? We have coffee and chocolate, but where is hiding the rest?

Francesco Lucifora

“Unwrapping the packages we immediately notice how particular the chocolate of Modica is; very dark and massive it looks “rough” and just break the bar to realize its grainy and crumbly com-position.The chocolate of Modica gi-ves a rush of emotions to the palate; just taste a little piece of it to put in motion the ma-chine of your senses. Then you feel an astringent sen-sation and, while you start to realize, chocolate begins to

crumble and melt releasing all the flavours that encloses. This delicacy is never swe-et, on the contrary. The taste is strong and mainly lasting and at the very first taste you could be taken aback by it, but just wait a few moments to enjoy a pleasant and long-lasting aftertaste full of fla-vourings”. In the magnificent baroque frame of the city of Modica we are glad to wel-come you to the usual event that celebrates the “mythi-cal” chocolate and which attracts people from all over the world... Is this (according to you) that makes Modica relevant in the contemporary culture? Or is it an antide-pressant cure for a depres-sed culturally system?

Ilaria Caruso Alessandro Mignemi

At school, when you study countries, regions and cities, under the heading economy you learn which are the raw materials and products of that territory. The economy of Modi-ca revolves around chocolate.Raw materials: nothing.At school the subject of culture is not discussed! School books do not talk ever about books.Exhibitions, artists and open minded people are not re-sources but they are scraps to forget where a bus stop does not even exist.We don’t think that shop ke-epers can sell their delicious chocolate thanks to the cul-ture. We not even understand that if we increase the cultural offer, the city grows all throu-gh. No one notices how many qualified, capable, demoralized unemployed young people the-re are in the city.Culture is not in the least a re-source...

Andrea Scarfò

A wave of greedy tourists interested in the secrets of the “already famous” cho-colate of Modica crowd our city that, for few days, turns itself into an open air showcase of the most di-stinctive and representati-ve product of Modica. But we would like that our city were known not only for this… tourists are welco-me… they will find more just at one of the main en-trances of the city… once pleasantly shocked then they can resume their way looking for the famous lo-cal product.

Francesco Branca

If in a night dream Modi-ca were flooded by choco-late, we could experience

a piece of ephemeral art-work: houses, shops, stuff and people, all covered. Armies of humans would be called to contain the invasion, eat and lick eve-ry little piece and stop this alienation. After exhausting efforts, we would remem-ber that chocolate has an expiry date and, probably the first hot sun would melt it, making loose its shape, consistency and taste. The rain would dissolve it. What would have produced the invasion and the army? At our awakening, we would go to our therapist who would offer us a chocolate, because, after all, we are all in choc.

Serena Carpinteri

Silent screenings / / video public wall di movie clipsby Cult. Ass. LAP

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory(1971)Bread and Chocolate (1973)Like water for chocolate (1992)Forrest Gump (1994)Chocolat (2000)Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

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