Franko B feature on Art News (Rai Edu) - Broadcast in Italy on 16th December 2011.
http://www.artnews.rai.it/

Art News (Italy) - April 2011

Gabriel Toso
He Who Loves – He Is One of Us
London, September 2011

[more texts about Franko B can be found at www.franko-b.com/text.htm]

I still remember the first time I saw Franko B. It was in a book illustrated with photos taken during one of his live performances. Franko was naked, covered with bodily fluids. Jaded, ready to drop. Towering next to him like an amused crane was a girl dressed as a nurse; or as a patient. The caption that accompanied the image was taken from Eroticism by the once described “metaphysician of evil”, Georges Bataille “Man must be aware of the things which repel him most violently – those things….are part of our nature”. I was 19 years old and confused. But inquisitive too….

That first visual encounter with the artist is still vivid in my mind, but the reason for it took a while to decipher. It was not the disturbing elements of the image, no, but rather the tender gaze, the amorous gestures and the fragile body. A mass of gentle emotions wrapping my mind, like a caress.

And now, fifteen year later, I know the man behind that photo and that gentleness is still present and alive. Indeed, having peeped inside the world of Franko B, I am wondering how can it be described as ‘disturbing’ - unless we find disturbing our own feelings. Franko’s work is a reflection of our emotional states. And yet, we find it initially difficult to relate to it. It employs the same alphabet but the language appears different. But is it really? Art critics, art journalists and the public at large have the tendency to think of artists as something different. Messianic and godlike or evil and immoral. Or just plain different. They are different than us, right? And then it hit me. Franko B, the visual artist and performer, is not a special entity or a frightening creature of dark fairy tales. Franko B is a man. He is made of flesh and bones, and has a heart and a soul. He sleeps and breathes, he eats and drinks, he walks and speaks, he pisses and shits, he cries and laughs, he fucks, he loves. Franko B is like me, like us. Franko B is one of us.

I remember Franko recently taking part in a conversation with a renowned art historian/book writer, a kind of vicious ferret. The guy was more interested in his own work (and Ego) than Franko’s. At the end he reluctantly asked: “Your canvases, your sculptures, your performances…..your work and life…..why? What is all about?” Silence. And then Franko, with a serious smile, “It is all about relationships”. That hit me again. His words resonated and expanded embracing and wrapping together with a gentle cuddle all of us in the audience. Travelling further, to the rest of the world. Relationships….

Even more recently I was conversing with Franko over dinner. The subject focused on Existentialism. The Big Questions. The condition of human existence and the meaning or purpose of life. At some point Franko B with clarity and conviction announced “ Because of love, that’s why we are here”. Silence. And then it hit me again. Franko B, the man and the artist, loves. All his work is about love. No the kind of spiritual love lost in remote deserts or the physical sensual love consumed in cities but Love as the pure generative universal energy that creates, preserves and destroys everything. It’s the love from one human being to another. And to the rest of the World. It’s the love that encompasses everything. As the arrival of Spring awakes in us the instinctive realisation of the passing of time and the returning swallow announces its love for the season and the land, so Franko’s work is a constant reminder of the eternal truth of Love. And Franko B loves. The words of Thomas à Kempis come to mind “Love flies, runs, and rejoices; it is free and nothing can hold it back….

Gabriel Toso

Cover of LOBODILATTICE, 6th June 2011
Franko B. even the loser has a good time at the party
Oh, My Loverboy. Protect Me. I Miss You. Franko B. ha sempre usato il cortocircuito semantico come canale di espressione privilegiato. Il suo corpo eccessivo, tatuato, crocicchio sincronico fra le freak-parade del Diciannovesimo Secolo, i tavoli delle notomie, le segrete degli interrogatori rinascimentali, le tribù delle subculture di fine millennio, vira dal bianco al nero per ansia di purezza. Franko B. si apre le vene e crea percorsi di sangue, per mostrare il dolore all’indifferenza degli spettatori. E titola le sue cruente alchimie di umori con dichiarazioni di desiderio struggente. La sua eleganza e pulizia formale ha metabolizzato una grande varietà di media, dalla performance, all’installazione, alla creazione di oggetti, ambienti, vestiti. Il neon rosso, simbolo a metà strada fra il camp della sessualità mercenaria, il condotto venoso sublimato e l’idea di qualcosa di morbido e luminoso, si piega a comporre messaggi d’amore e solitudine. My Heart Is Yours, Do You Want It? I Feel Lonely, Please Call Me. Even the Loser Has a Good Time At The Party. La croce rossa raffigura l’eccedenza di significati propria dei simboli. E quindi la cura del dolore, la sollecitudine, l’universo queer delle uniformi di latex, l’universalità del dolore, la connessione con la simbologia religiosa del martirio e della sua santità. [translate]

At Night We Cry is a new musical collaboration between Franko B and Jacopo Pannocchia with Stefano Teodori.
Our first ever performance will be at Art Day 2, at Terminal, Macerata, Italy - 3rd July 2011, 9pm.
The idea of this collective is to invite collaboration with other artists, allowing the group to mutate and progress organically over time. We are arty but also political.
Blog to come soon.

FREE poster available now. The poster is A1 size, printed in full colour on both sides and includes texts by Michele Robecchi and Franko B. It marks Franko B's forthcoming solo exhibition at the Nunnery Gallery in London.

Anarchy rules! But it's about a lot more than just lobbing things at police
(18th December 2010)

*il tratto principale del mio carattere... / *The main feature of my character ...
Impulsivo / impulsive

*la qualità che desidero in un uomo... / *The quality I want in a man ...
Un cuore grande / A Mighty Heart

*le qualità che preferisco in una donna... / * The qualities that I prefer in a woman ...
Un cuore grande / A Mighty Heart

*quel che apprezzo di più nei miei amici... / * That I appreciate most in my friends ...
La generosità / Generosity

*il mio principale difetto... / * My main fault ...

*la mia occupazione preferita... / * My favorite occupation ...
Essere me / Being me

*il mio sogno di felicità... / * My dream of happiness ...

*quale sarebbe per me la più grande disgrazia... / * What would be the greatest misfortune for me ...
Non ci voglio pensare / We do not want to think about it

*quel che vorrei essere... / * What I want to be ...
Mi va bene così / I'm happy with how I am

*il paese dove vorrei vivere... / A place where I'd like to live
Los Angeles / Los Angeles

*il colore che preferisco... / * My favorite colour ...
Il nero / Black

*l'uccello che preferisco... / * My favourite bird ...
Petti rosso / Robin

*i miei autori preferiti in prosa.. / * My favorite authors in prose ..
Samuel Beckett / Samuel Beckett

*i miei poeti preferiti... / * My favorite poets ...
Patty Smith / Patti Smith

*i miei eroi nella finzione... / * My heroes in fiction ...
Non ho eroi neanche nella finzione / I did not have heroes in fiction

*il mio gruppo musicale preferito / * My favorite band
Patty Smith / Patti Smith

*il mio regista preferito / My favorite director
Andrej Tarkovsky / Andrei Tarkovsky

*il mio film preferito / My favorite movie
Mirror di Andrej Tarkovsky / Mirror of Andrei Tarkovsky

*i miei pittori preferiti.. / * My favorite painters ..
Mark Rothko / Mark Rothko

*i miei eroi nella vita reale... / * My heroes in real life ...
Non ho eroi / I have no heroes

*le mie eroine nella storia... / * My heroines in history ...
Non ho eroine / I have no heroines

*i miei nomi preferiti... / * My favorite names ...
Tom e Marco / Tom and Marcus

*quel che detesto più di tutto... / * What I hate most of all ...
La mediocrazia / Mediocracy

*l'impresa militare che ammiro di più...& la riforma che apprezzo di più.... / * The military enterprise I admire most ... the reform & I like best ....
Non ammiro i militari. L’ aborto. / I do not admire the military. Abortion legislation.

*il dono di natura che vorrei avere.. / * The gift of nature that I have ..
Di non avere paura / Not to be afraid

*come vorrei morire... / * How I would like to die ...
Nel sonno / In sleep

*stato attuale del mio animo.. / * Current state of my mind ..
Tiepido / Warm

*le colpe che mi ispirano maggior indulgenza.. / * The sins in which you indulge yourself..
Non credo nei peccati / I do not believe in sin

*il mio motto... / * My motto ...
Eat, shit, fuck, die. / Eat, shit, fuck, die.

From D magazine (La Repubblica), 20th November 2010

L’ultima cosa che fa prima di dormire ? Do un bacio a mio marito .

Il suo rapporto con le droghe , o l’alcol ? Sono sposato , ne faccio

uso come diversivo .

Cosa le piace di più nel corpo di una donna ? Il sedere .

Cosa mangia a pranzo la domenica ? Piatti estremamente variabili .

Cosa la tiene sveglia la notte ? Mio marito , sempre lui .

Beauty : mai senza .... I tatuaggi .

Quanto conta il sesso nella vita ? Molto , ma dipende anche da dove

sei . E da quanto costa .

Fa sport ? Si , sport acquatici , quando capita .

Si reincarna in donna , la prima cosa che vorrebbe sperimentare ?

Gli uomini .

ى mai andato da uno psicanalista ? S … .

Cosa c’è sempre nel suo frigo ? il pollo . Per i cani .

Come si rilassa ? Con il valium .

Il senso più importante ? La vista .

Cosa non indosserebbe mai ? Preferisco non dire “mai” .

Se non facesse male , con cosa si consolerebbe ? Se mi fa bene , va

bene tutto .

FRANKO B , 50 anni , artista milanese . Fino al 28/11 al Pac di Milano c’è la

sua mostra “I Still Love” , curata da Francesca Alfano Miglietti . Vive a

Londra , dove si è affermato con progetti radicali . Le sue opere sono

anche alla Tate Modern , al Victoria and Albert Museum , al Modern Art

Museum di Tel Aviv . (on "D" di Repubblica)

Contrary to recent press articles, Franko B is not represented by Galleria Pack in any way, anywhere in the world.