GHEN. La rivista del movimento dell'arte genetica

In a living room in Lecce, poet Francesco Saverio Dodaro signed a 70x100 cm manifesto of intent: with this solemn act the genetic art movement was born. As happened with Futurism, a movement to which he shows Dodaro wants to, albeit ideally, reconnect, a manifesto of intent was written for the genetic art movement on a copy of Le Figaro. From this act was born Ghen, the magazine that was to become the movement’s main organ of dissemination.

Ghen embodies and develops the genetic theory that the rhythm of art, and thus of human language, originates from the maternal heartbeat perceived during gestation. With this view, Dodaro embraces the theories of Freudian psychoanalysis, proposing a radical alternative that interweaves biology, art and language.

The journal also stands out for its strong social commitment, aimed at a critical reading of the Lecce area and the traumas of those years. Among the issues addressed, the Basaglia law of 1978, which ended the existence of asylums by establishing nursing homes, emerges, seen as an event symbolic of the transformation of contemporary society and particularly felt by Dodaro because of the presence of an important asylum in the city of Lecce.

Alongside Dodaro, two key figures accompanied his path: Franco Gelli, the first signatory of the manifesto and called for this reason “Genetico No. 2,” (Genetic no. 2) and Antonio Massari, nicknamed “meccanico delle acque” (water meccanic), his work in which he reworks his birth certificate is considered by the group to be one of the most representative works of the movement.

Aesthetically, the movement’s works are characterized by strong contrasts between black and white, a distinctive feature from the first issue. If the theme of motherhood is central in the beginning, from the second issue the vision broadens: the theme of the house is placed in parallel with the womb. In this context, the entry of architect and theorist Fernando Miglietta into the group gives rise to the concept of genetic architecture, formalized in Massari’s 1979 work of the same name.

Despite its originality and growing national and international reception, Ghen did not receive attention in its hometown of Lecce.

The magazine was built on a modular grid of dotted rectangles - a porous structure characteristic of the publication - designed, in most cases, to accommodate a wide variety of contributions. Within this structure, literary works and images alternated, sent physically to Dodaro for inclusion in issues, with some pieces breaking the grid by expanding across the entire page. The graphic layout probably comes from a rejected proposal by Dodaro for “La tribuna del Salento,” another newspaper in the province of Lecce published from 1959 to 1979.

On the cover, Ghen’s logo features a bold serif alphabet, traceable to an Egyptian style but not derived from any existing font, as identified by Marco Spinelli. Inside, at least three typefaces alternate: a sans-serif similar to Helvetica or Arial, a Garamond Simoncini, and a condensed uppercase font.

Unlike many exo-publishing experiences, Ghen relies on professional production, offset printed in Galatina, in a large format of 50 × 35 cm. Initially intended to be a quarterly publication, but something changed Dodaro’s plans; three issues were published: February 28, 1977 - price: 500 lire; June 17, 1978 - price: 1,000 lire; June 27, 1979 - price: 2,000 lire.

In 1981, two years after the Lecce edition closed, Ghen Res Extensa Ligu was born, founded in Genova and edited by Rolando Mignani for four issues until 1985. In this new phase, the magazine radically changed its visual layout and cultural orientation.

The three issues of Ghen host heterogeneous contributions inspired by genetic art. Notable authors include Franco Gelli, with ironic texts on the genetic unconscious; V. Balsebre, with visual diaries; Antonio Massari, with photographically documented bodily actions; and Fernando Miglietta, a theorist of genetic architecture. Other interventions explore the relationships between landscape, identity and visual language.

On the poetic side, Augieri, Vergallo and E. Miglietta stand out, between experimentation, visual poetry and new writing. Theoretical and critical contributions deepen the aesthetics of the movement, thanks to authors such as Colombo, Spadaro, Sicoli, Squarotti and Crispolti. Also present are international names, including Pierre Restany, Tina Keane and Amelia Etlinger, and prominent Italian figures such as Bruno Munari.