AMBIENCE XIX

Adrian Paci​

1969, Shkodër, Albania, lives in Milano, Italy

Real Game, 1999

video, 9'

Autobiography is the starting point of all of Adrian Paci's works, but rather than trying to describe experience of immigration through his own eyes, the artist decided to use those of his daughter Jolanda.

Real Game is the sequel to his video Albanian Stories (1997), a spontaneous ready-made, which simply records an innocent, childish game and a development of its reflections. Games and fairy tales historically played a key role in people's lives, bringing out uncomfortable truths only partially camouflaged by fantasy. Under the appearance of another common game - the artist pretends to be a teacher, with Jolanda the pupil - topics such as immigration, isolation and homesickness are raised again. Only this time the language is far more ripe, the story is better defined, and the references to animals and other fantastic tales left out in favour of a primitive form of self-consciousness and dry optimism.