Telefoni di Stato Desidera
Site-specific, exhibition
With Matteo Zoccolo
2021-22
“Questo testo è in parte tratto dalla trascrizione di alcune interviste, in parte esercizio di immaginazione.
È
frutto del nostro lavoro di ricerca in collaborazione con Cooperativa 19 a Spazio Drin, e della nostra esperienza nei locali abbandonati dei Telefoni di Stato in Corso Italia 34, Bolzano. Il materiale di partenza, in seguito da noi reinterpretato, sono le storie e testimonianze di Maria Giuliana e Francesca, ex lavoratrici dei telefoni di stato, del gelatiere Loris e della fotografa Cristina, entrambe lavoratrici in Corso Italia e frequentatori dei telefoni. Un grazie speciale a Maria Giuliana, alla sua disponibilità, gentilezza e memoria di ferro.
In occasione del progetto digi-drin di Cooperativa 19 con Martina Melilli”
Matteo Zoccolo e Chiara Duchi
-> Here is our list !
Our list in the virtual exhibition space The building in 3DCooperativa 19 - exhibition space
Digi-DRIN is a digital platform that celebrates the history of Bolzano's former Telefoni di Stato (DRIN) building, now being revitalized into a cultural co-working space after two decades of abandonment. In 2021-22, DRIN engaged 13 creatives, led by artist and director Martina Melilli, in an artistic reinterpretation of historical materials: this collaboration resulted in the works featured in the exhibition Telefoni di Stato Desidera. You can explore it on the fourth floor of Drin’s digital space, showcasing the talents of Nicolò Andreatta, Alessandro Caminiti, Marta Cavallera, Jacopo Cenni, Noemi Civiero, Chiara Duchi, Elisa Giarolli, Gaia Lionello, Alberto Piazzalunga, Giulia Pirrello, Nicholas Sabena, Claudio Tola, and Matteo Zoccolo.
-> RaiNews Bolzano here
-> Timeline
For our project, we visited the long-abandoned Telefoni di Stato building in Bolzano, navigating its dusty, silent spaces. There, we had the precious opportunity of interviewing Maria Giuliana, a former employee who had dedicated most of her life to the building; her vivid memories, rich with detail and emotion, offered us a glimpse into the daily rhythms and transformations that the building had witnessed over the decades.
These recollections were transcribed into an extensive list, shaped by the interview, and became a central element of the exhibition, stretching across the fourth floor in a ritualistic manner.
This installation combined Chiara’s passion for lists—capturing memories and experiences in a poetic yet structured form—with Matteo Zoccolo’s emphasis on listening practices and bringing voices into the foreground. Presented in December 2021 at Spazio DRIN, the exhibition offered a reflective and immersive experience, blending oral history with visual storytelling. It invited visitors to reflect on the passage of time and the transformation of spaces, giving voice to the untold narratives that shape Bolzano’s collective memory.
On-site exhibition