Andrea De Simeis, master papermaker and superfine engraver, owner of the Cubiarte workshop, on the evening of July 20 presented in his city Caprarica di Lecce, Nicola Lucchi's La piaga del ballo, a special publication on precious hand-printed paper made of vegetable fibers. An idea that got off the ground thanks to the training internship project “A School, a job. Training to Excellence” by Fondazione Cologni.
A limited edition of only one hundred numbered and signed copies, created in Cubiarte Laboratories by master artisan Andrea De Simeis, Onelia Greco, and intern Daniela Fumarola, on handmade paper of common fig and cotton, printed at the press from lime matrix and movable type. The published story La piaga del ballo was generously donated to Cubiarte by Nicola Lucchi, a writer and screenwriter nominated for the 2024 Strega Prize in the Girls and Boys section. The presentation was held at the Palazzo Baronale in the presence of the mayor and featured a dialogue between the authors along with Fondazione Cologni representatives Federica Cavriana and Nurye Donatoni.
Daniela Fumarola's apprenticeship, carried out with the support of Triennale Milano, represented a “workmanlike” training process: the six months spent within the walls of the evocative Lecce stone atelier allowed the young woman a path aimed at learning woodcut and the rare washi technique declined in a “Salento” version for the creation of precious papers. The secrets of the craft, transmitted by Andrea De Simeis, allowed Daniela a well-rounded approach to the artisan: in addition to traditional workshop work, she was able to refine communication techniques and try her hand at curating a cultural event.
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