The Praxis 48 is not exactly the typewriter you would expect to find in an attic, let alone in the work of a contemporary artist.
Launched in 1964, this electromechanical marvel was conceived by Rinaldo Salto for the hardware and by Ettore Sottsass (years before he created the iconic Valentine), in collaboration with Hans von Klier for the design. Featuring a cantilevered keyboard with green keys and a grooved surface, the Praxis 48 introduced a novelty in the world of typewriters as a semi-standard electric model.
However, a detail that could not have escaped anyone who owned it is its weight of a hefty 9.2 kg - not exactly ideal for transport - which made it primarily suitable for static use.
It is by challenging this feature that the artist, musician, and performer Roberto Casti uses the Praxis 48 to create "Aleph," a work that transcends the traditional boundaries of its original use by transforming it into "the point at which the entire universe is concentrated,” “the place where, without confusion, all places on earth are seen from every angle" as described by Jorge Luis Borges in "The Aleph" (Jorge Luis Borges, Aleph, Adelphi, Milan 1998, p. 131).
The intention, from the beginning, has always been to put the reader or writer in a position to empathize with a global complexity, impossible to fully embrace
Roberto Casti
"Aleph (Milan-Berlin-Lisbon-Milan)" is indeed the title of the work exhibited at Casa degli Artisti until February 11, 2025, part of the exhibition "Fernweh - Act II," created with artist Friedrich Andreoni and curated by Caterina Angelucci and Andrea Zanini.
A space-time awareness device
Open, interactive, and collaborative, "Aleph" is freely accessible to the public. The work invites visitors to interact with the keyboard of the iconic typewriter to transfer onto an immeasurably long roll of paper the deepest and most persistent questions residing in their minds:
"Quante persone stanno vivendo in questo momento?
How many reflect on their complicity in maintaining an oppressive social order?
Quante persone stanno piangendo ora?
Will unconditional love be the ultimate solution?"
(...)
The title, as well as the list of questions imprinted on the long roll of paper, transforms each time the work is presented in a new city, transcending spatial and temporal boundaries and surpassing the individual dimension to foster a collective awareness of contemporary queries.
The very form of the work may also change over time, I do not rule it out
Roberto Casti
After being exhibited in Milan, Berlin, and Lisbon, and returning once again to Milan, the work "Aleph" aims to expand further, to travel and capture reflections and thoughts from other parts of the world.
- Exhibition:
- Fernweh - Act II W
- Location:
- Casa degli Artisti, Milan
- Dates:
- until February 11, 2025