Some of us walk through life and find things that we know are wrong and think– Hmm…someone should do something about that. Other’s will look at these same issues and will think – I need to do something about that and then get on with it to create change. Such is the case with two sisters from a small town of Trivignano in northern Italy who are talented contemporary artists as well as hard core animal activist. The Pers sisters, Tiziana and Isalbella, are the founders behind RAVE which is a movement created to stop the slaugher of animals. This righteous cause brings together luminaries from the art world in a weekend of round table discussion focused on contemporary art and cross section of the animal welfare during RAVE East Village Artist Residency.

The last edition of RAVE took place in 2018 in the northern Italy’s Friulian countryside in the medieval Borgo Soleschiano. The bucolic setting created a grounded environment for the weekend in centuries old finca surrounded by farmlands and paddocks underlying the mission of RAVE. Throughout the area were the stars of the weekend and purpose behind RAVE, the cows, horses and other livestock rescued from the slaughterhouse and brought to pasture to live out their natural lives.

The founders of RAVE are the acclaimed artists Isabella and Tiziana Pers whose life’s work is their engaging contemporary and multimedia art as well as their cause focused efforts to spread their concept of biocentrism and anti-speciesism which is that animal life is equally as important as human life.

RAVE is a thought leader and movement in the concept of biocentrism and as such has created an Artist Residency where celebrated artists, whose pieces are sympathetic to the animal rights, are brought in for talks, workshops, and exhibitions with other artists, students, activists, and community leaders.
The 2018 edition of RAVE hosted the celebrated artist and cultural protagonist, Giuseppe Stampone. His provocative sketches and works bring together the use of new media and moralistically focused projects that seek to bring awareness, create discomfort, and stimulate action around the proliferation of war, issues around water resources, humane migration practices and at times painful issues in society.

Throughout the weekend there are workshops for aspiring artists, interactive talks with philosophers, critics, artists, activists and thought leaders. It’s not all about work there are enriching chances to meet and engage with interesting people and understand different perspectives around art, society and animal welfare. The collections of creatives and intellectuals is food for the spirit. Speaking of food, family style long table lunches provoked stimulating conversations which was enjoyed along with the healthy organic vegan meals and copious amount of local wine and artisan beer.

On the last day of the weekend, the group departed for the unique Vigne Museum which is an outdoor museum atop a hill surrounded by the beautiful Livio Felluga Vineyards. The setting could not be more beautiful as larger than life outdoor artworks dot the area. It was an ideal finish to the series of stimulating discussing and exploration of art, society and biocentrism.

RAVE is a labor of love and purpose for its organizers. Such a dream does not come without significant costs, so the everyday challenge is how to raise funds to continue to do such valuable work. RAVE is a non-profit association where funds raised go directly to supporting costs of care for rescued animals, saving new animals from slaughter as well as to put on future RAVE residency events to spread the concept and message of anti-biocentrism. Your support though contributions is needed. To help visit the website at www.raveresidency.com to learn more or email info@raveresidency.com.