CARREGA, Ugo. Verbofilm ‘Rifletti’.

(Milan): Edizioni Tool, 1967.  First edition.  Softcover.  8.3cm by 29.9cm.  A Verbocine (permutatore manuale). One of 20 handmade copies (“fatti a mano”). Cardboard construction with printed text and two movable paper word-strips, housed in a custom envelope.  An early and inventive example of Ugo Carrega’s verbo-visual practice, issued by his experimental imprint Edizioni Tool. This manually operated “verbocine” (verbal filmstrip) functions as a permutation device: two horizontal paper strips, each bearing an identical list of 20 Italian words, are inserted into a die-cut cardboard base. The fixed centre of the construction reads “causa”, with small windows on either side revealing the inserted terms — producing combinatory phrases such as l’arte causa l’fertilita or la foia causa la colpa, depending on the positioning. In total, the work allows for 400 unique pairings, using repetition, variation, and symmetry to explore meaning through permutation. The structural repetition of the word “causa” — printed immovably — underscores Carrega’s interest in language as mechanism, action, and tension. A printed statement by the artist accompanies the work:  The items housed in a stapled card envelope printed with the artists statement.  “La permutazione offre una sistematica di verbalità esistenziale. È un modo potente di confrontare, riflettere, sviluppare la mente sui problemi.” (“Permutation offers a systematic approach to existential verbality. It’s a powerful way to compare, reflect, and develop one’s mind on problems.”)  A very good example.  Produced in an edition of only 20 copies, all handmade. Rare and exemplary of Carrega’s fusion of concrete poetry, conceptual art, and linguistic experimentation within the post-war Italian avant-garde.