Master in Etching Techniques

Project location: Italy, Rome
Project start date: October 2009 - Project end date: October 2010
Project number: 2009-35
Beneficiary: Fondazione “Laboratorio 2RC – Officina Contemporaneo”

Timeline of the present final report:

September 2010 - May 2013

In the final phase of the project, the large studio offered by the Viareggio Town Council within the courtyard of the GamC Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea has been adapted externally to accommodate the print shop. In February 14th 2013 a formal contract agreement was signed between the Viareggio Town Council and Laboratorio 2RC- Officina Contemporaneo.

The renovation works inside the studio should be finished by the end of May, 2013. In July 2010 the 2 etching presses with the rest of the equipment were restored and sent to Viareggio. Once the space is ready, all equipment will be settled within the new studio. The opening ceremony is planned for the 21st of June 2013.

Laboratorio 2RC received further financial help by various donors to also create a guest house within the Palazzo delle Muse, which will host international artists and will be ready by October 2013.

Laboratorio 2RC- Officina Contemporaneo intends to begin with the first Master course within the 2013/2014 Academic year.

The 2nd level Academic Master's degree is organized by Laboratorio 2RC- Officina Contemporaneo together with the Florence Academy of Fine Arts. The Academy's Professors will be in charge of the frontal lessons of the Master course while all the lab lessons will take place in Viareggio. The Master course will be open to graduated students from International Academies. For foreign students a minimum level of English will be requested (example Chinese students).

The program has been developed as follows:

Modern and Contemporary Art History

Printmaking History

Etching techniques and new experimentation

The different techniques: their autonomy and limits and possible cohesions

Materials and paper technology

Restoration and preservation of graphic artworks

Ethic rules - Legal protection: Artist, Editor, Print shop - (copyright)

Print market and economy - cataloging

Final thesis

(For a total of 1500 hours and 60 credits)

The Second 2RCCAFA workshop in Beijing at the Central Academy of Fine Arts:

From the 1st of April to the 1st of May 2013 the 5th 2RCCAFA workshop at the Central Academy of Fine Arts of Beijing will take place. Tree Chinese students will join Valter and Eleonora Rossi throughout the whole printmaking process. The artists invited this year are Zeng Hao and Zheng Enli.

The first four workshops were useful for the etching department to create a more suitable structure for a larger number of students to work at the same time. A big effort was made to identify and locate all the necessary materials such as local inks, paper, copper and various acids and resins, as the aim is to work with Chinese materials so to avoid importing materials from Italy or France.

Thanks to the Nando Peretti Foundation, a new machine, called "Boit a grain", was also built which purpose is to create large etchings in acquatint.