NO BALL GAMES

A few years after his trip to London, Enrico Rassu regards his shots (all Instax) and dwells on one in particular. NO BALL GAMES sign in the parking lot of a popular complex sounds to him like a statement, a motto or, as he calls it, “a philosophy of life.” An imposition that tells children “don’t play ball here” calls for a challenge, a rebellion against all those often unnecessary obligations that limit freedom of expression. Enrico Rassu thus begins a series dedicated to all those people – but also situations – that build their own rules out of social impositions, titling it No Ball Games. From the music scene, especially rap – they include, for example, Paola Zukar, Nerissima Serpe, Guè, Marracash, Noyz Narcos -, to friends and strangers, all immortalized in an instantaneous way and today enclosed within a book that Rassu will present during the event – or cultural reunion, as he calls it – on June 18 made in collaboration with Instax/Fujifilm, at Art Studio Finestreria in Milan, in the Navigli area. In the exhibition there will be not only his photographs, Enrico in fact “passes the ball” to other creatives to explore together with them, and the whole audience, the meaning of No ball games. Looking forward to Tuesday, we met with him to find out more about this project and to understand where it originated, what it is today and where it is going.

Where did the NO BALL GAMES project come from?

E.R.: No ball games is a sign I saw in 2021 London. It’s those typical signs that stand in housing estates forbidding kids to play ball games. When I looked back at my photo archive years later, I noticed that I had a photo series of kids I had taken one night in London. One in particular had a bandana and a probably stolen bicycle, I photographed him in front of a garage where this sign was hanging.

What does NO BALL GAMES mean to you?

E.R.: No ball games to me means looking at that sign and saying, “What’s wrong with playing ball games? Why shouldn’t I? What am I doing wrong? Why can’t I have fun, have a group? And so metaphorically, No ball games is “why should I grow up if I can stay young forever?”

What is NO BALL GAMES today?

E.R.: Today No ball games is not just an exhibition, it’s a party, it’s a book, and I think it’s really a way of life, a philosophy. It is the courage to be yourself.

Who are the main characters in your series?

E.R.: All the main characters in the project are people who in their lives decided to be free and create their own way. In the book you can find so many different people, famous, not famous, musicians, writers, ex-girlfriends, friends who in their own way expressed themselves as they wanted to. Let’s say that inside the book and inside the project there are all people and situations that have been part of my life and that I consider No ball games.

The exhibition you organized at La Finestreria is not a solo show but you chose to involve other creative people. From here we can see your need, or rather, your intent to create a community. How important is this to you?

E.R.: I think photography is a great medium, that it is never the ultimate goal, but it is a medium to know and discover others. I know my photographs, I already know everything I have done, but I don’t know what can happen around photographs that I put on display. So in that sense, photographs are like a landscape that is a backdrop for a new meaning that can be created together.

I think this new sense can only be created with others, through their ideas and expressions, because it is like starting a new journey. I don’t want to confirm a past journey, I want to build a new one. I don’t want to repeat something I’ve already done, and consequently this room – which is now No ball games – is for me (and for others) a chance to create something new.

We already understood how important the concept of artistic community was to you when we discovered your Via Malaga project – which we talked about here – which by the way is where you live, so it all comes very clear to us.

How is this exhibition-event constituted? Who did you invite?

E.R.: For the exhibition we have at our disposal a three-story gallery on the Navigli called Art Studio Finestreria. From June 18 to June 20 we have organized a real cultural gathering where — in addition to my photos — there will be video screenings, an installation, a DJ set and a small art residency. I gathered all the people who could express their idea of No ball games, first of all three directors Ivano Atzori, Olmo Parenti and Simone Peluso, who made three short video art films around this concept. Then there will be an installation by the Throw Up collective that will make an installation dedicated to graffiti outside the exhibition; a DJ set organized by One Shot that will bring music throughout the exhibition. There will also be an art residency on the -1 floor – run by Lvnar‘s art direction – where for three days there will be musicians and sound engineers who will allow anyone to participate and leave their energy, then their art, a thought, a verse. So many dynamics will be created around this mixtape, which is completely open to anyone.

The music scene is very present in your shots as well as in this project. Why is that? Where does this close connection to music come from?

E.R.: My creativity was born with music. I grew up in Sardinia – in Sassari – and when I was 15 years old I approached the people who are my friends today. I knew they had garages where they were there day and night producing, expressing themselves. I started hanging out with them and helping them on their journey.

Music has always been a background, the sound track of my art. As much as I may be in love with audiovisuals and photography, I realize that it is something still in time, not animated. With an image I stop that person forever but that person is not with us, whereas – in contrast – music brings an energy of people to a specific place. That is why for me it is crucial to combine photography and music, to connect these two worlds to create a community.