LPW at The Printing Museum in Lodi

LPW settled in Leoncavallo in 2014 and became the base for our annual, collaborative artist residency. But there has always been another space which has played a very special, and important role in LPW.  That is the Printing Museum in Lodi.

https://www.museostampa.org/

Luigi Lanfossi is one of the people who helps run the museum and lends his type annually to be used in Leoncavallo. He is part of our valuable network of people who help support our LPW event.

In October we thought it would be a good idea to organise a small Italian edition of LPW in Lodi and access the museum’s workshop spaces. Only two days of actual printing – small in time but huge in results and of course spreading our LPW harmony.

Lodi is a small town not far from the south side of Milan, the museum has been there since 2008. Managed by the association of the same name. It houses a rich collection of type, presses and bookbinding machines. Since their main activity is linked to schools and education the impact of Covid-19 has resulted in the museum remaining practically closed. It needed to get some air and our visit was a good excuse to blow off the cobwebs!

Day one…

After a quick guided tour, we started thinking about the project. Following the ‘Keep Moving’ theme, already used in Leipzig. It acted as a perfect catalyst, both as a create link between the two events and because thinking about how we ‘keep moving’ is what we all need to do right now.

Just when we were considering what to set up, Luigi pulled out his ace: three clichés of toy cars and aeroplanes – they immediately caught our attention.

Keep moving…

We divided into two groups and started printing. Lucio, Paolo and myself in the main room, Elettra, Andrea and Fabrizio in the laboratory. Luigi in the middle, helping everyone out.

We used, more or less the same presses as LPW: two big table tops and an amazing Boston – which still bore the signs of our 2015 LPW edition!

The day was only interrupted with a short break for a packed lunch (as if we were all on a school trip). During this very busy first day we managed to compose and print almost everything we set out to do.

Ready for the next day…

In the evening we returned to Milan. We wanted to have dinner at Leoncavallo, as we would during a normal LPW day, but laziness (and hunger) made us choose a pizzeria in the Bovisa area. The important thing, however, was to stay together, share our respective experiences and perpetuate the dialogue.

Day two…

On Sunday, Giulia joined the group to help in finish printing and, above all, to bind the books. In the mean-time Chiara was tasked to visit central Lodi to search for supplies for lunch: pizza and maybe some wine (at least for a toast).

Final sections were set and locked-up ready for printing, but time was against us. Luckily Luigi pulled out a drying powder to speed the process. So, after a plate of pasta and potatoes (instead of pizza) and a couple of glasses of red wine, the pages of the booklet were printed, dry and ready to be bound.

While some people bound the booklets, others cleaned type (and ornaments) and distributed type back into their respective cases. Both operations were fairly quick, and in the late afternoon, we resurfaced in the museum courtyard with our copies printed, bound and ready.

A rare few days of printing, talking and working together – ending as quickly as it began, but already looking forward to the next time (hopefully very soon) when we can all be together and do it once again.

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LPW 2020 – Lodi Printers:

Paolo Cabrini / Fabrizio Falcone / Luigi Lanfossi / Claudio Madella /

Lucio Passerini / Giulia Poli / Elettra Scotucci / Chiara Tradardi /

Andrea Vendetti /

Picture Credits: Fabrizio Falcone / Luigi Lanfossi