CASA ALL’ITALIANA – SUPERLEGGERA | ANILA RUBIKU

Anila Rubiku (Durres, 1970) is an Albanian born Italian artist who addresses social and political issues through her work. As a multidisciplinary artist, Rubiku chooses the most effective and appropriate technique for each project.

In the artwork Casa all’italiana – Superleggera by Rubiku, we can observe the representation of a private household environment through one of the most classic domestic practices, tradition often passed down from generation to generation and historically reserved for the feminine universe: embroidery.

Casa all’italiana – Superleggera is a peculiar installation, approximately one square meter in size, that reproduces an idea of home: a single block composed of a cube-shaped base and a high part where two oblique sides touch at the top, forming a pointed roof.
The uniqueness of this object lies in the embroidery applied to the external surface: the walls of this house, as well as the roof, have been covered with threads, used by the artist to embroider the furnishings and interiors of the dwelling. Taking advantage of the white base, Rubiku chooses threads of vibrant colors to represent objects and create contrast, while black is used to depict the background, such as the floor, ceiling, fixtures, and some other furnishings.

The paper walls are perforated in various points. By placing a lamp inside the object, the light filters through the holes recreating a suggestive, almost magical atmosphere and transforming the artwork into a large lantern.
At the same time, what is shown through the embroidery is the interior of the dwelling, creating an optical illusion that reverses the viewers’ perception, making them believe that the light comes from outside, rather than from the inside.

This duality, playing with contrasts and the meanings of certain stylistic choices, not only declared and obvious but also and above all metaphorical, defines Rubiku’s practice. She chooses common moments of everyday life, expressing and displaying them within the framework of contemporary art.
The artist herself said that during her childhood, power outages were frequent in her neighborhood, leaving the families who used to live there in difficulty and discomfort. Casa all’italiana – Superleggera, unlike her childhood house, transforms itself into a lantern of hope.

Anila Rubiku
Casa all’italiana – Superleggera, 2008
Sewn and perforated cardboard paper, aluminium base, light implant, cotton and silk thread, 117 x 100 x 91 cm.
Courtesy: Anila Rubiku & The Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Photo: Anila Rubiku.

31/01/2024