You may think you already know everything about the emblematic work entitled Fountain by the versatile genius Marcel Duchamp (Blainville-Crevon, 1887 – Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1968), who is considered to be one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Many of you may have studied the artistic path of this extraordinary painter, sculptor, writer and chess player, whose works had and still have an extraordinary impact on the art world. But our play of the weekend was to try to distance ourselves from the common knowledge, listening what a group of neophytes would say about this controversial work. Our “guinea pigs” were children from 3 to 5 years old, but they could as well be 90 to 100, because it’s never too soon, or too late to enjoy art.
Alessia: “Duchamp was a joker, maybe he produces washbowls because he wasn’t able to draw.”
Emma Giulia: “I think this work is for males only. Males always design males’ things.”
Alice: “What’s this big bowl for? Does it serve to wash feet? Is the tube in the front supposed to be connected to anything?”
Tommaso: “No, it isn’t Alice. This is a potty-chair for grown children. It must be comfortable. You can look around while pissing.”
Rodrigo: “Is Mr. Mutt R the name of the owner of this artwork? Yes, because it is an artwork right? It doesn’t seem to me, but it looks like a thing that is worth collecting and keeping at home. I’ve seen so many strange things, that if Mr. Mutt wants to treasure it, I agree.”
Lorenzo: “It is a musical instrument, a strange hydro… How do you say it? Hydrophone? (Ed. Note) Yes, that one. When the drops fall down one after the other they make a concert.”
Emma: “To my mind, it looks like a cradle for a small dog, which rolls into a ball and dreams about a flying meatball.”
Matteo: “I think that it’s a strange armchair. My grandma would say “one invents basically everything”. Anyway, I like it! There is the artist’s signature too. Is he famous?”
Giovanni: ”Sometimes artists are funny! Guys, this is a mini toilet bowl, how can it be considered as an artwork? Our teacher says that we should go beyond and use imagination, so I’m trying to understand how we can turn a toilet bowl into an artwork. I need to think about it, It’s not so easy. I’ll let you know my point tomorrow, ok?”
Michelangelo: “I think that it’s something to produce an echo, like a machine to produce words through the tube”.
Margherita: “I don’t like this work, it looks like a cradle, but it’s white, maybe I would paint it.”
Federico: “How can you pee into an artwork? For sure someone would yell at you!”
