Art overcomes cultural barriers

A STORY OF TRENTINI IN THE WORLD
TOMÁS FRANZOI FROM VALSUGANA TO AVELLANEDA

We asked some descendants of Trentino emigrants to tell their stories in the first person, emphasising how their origin has directed and influenced them in life. This would not have been possible without the active and friendly cooperation of the Trentini nel Mondo Association, founded in 1957 with the aim of social solidarity and as a tool of aggregation and assistance for Trentino migrants and their descendants. The character we introduce in this issue is Tomás Franzoi, a fifth-generation descendant of Trentino emigrants in Argentina.

The view stretches as far as the eye can see when I look at the horizon in this immense plain.

The city of Avellaneda, in the north of the province of Santa Fé, Argentina, is located on the banks of the Paraná River. This is where I was born. I am Tomás Franzoi, I am 47 years old, I am a sculptor, I work with wood and I am a fifth-generation descendant of Trentino emigrants. My grandparents arrived in 1879 together with a small group of families from northern Italy, finding here a fertile land where they could put down roots. So they founded this city 145 years ago.

I was born in 1977. the backdrop to my childhood was a rural area, featuring economic difficulties but a wealth of creativity. I also have Criollo blood, also being the descendant of Spaniards and natives. The trees, other children and the surroundings were my playmates. It was there, at the age of five or six, that I took my first steps into the world of art, guided by my father Ervin, who taught me to draw and model clay as if it were a game.

My first conscious contact with the Trentino world took place during high school (I where I studied the technical-industrial curriculum). The Trentino Circle of Avellaneda invited me to participate in a competition to create a logo that would be published in the magazine 'Trentini nel Mondo'. I still remember the excitement of reading an article about the traditional wood sculptors in Trentino.

Even then I was already making my first sculptures, using the skills I had picked up in a children's art workshop in my hometown, where I learned the traditional method of sculpture. With these works I was also managing to earn some money. My adolescence and youth saw me actively involved in Catholic Church youth groups (an Italian legacy, with my grandmother reciting the rosary daily).

In 2000, Pope John Paul II invited all young people to the Jubilee in Rome. By selling my sculptures, I was able to fund my trip and see for myself the infinite artistic and cultural riches of Italy, travelling from north to south. Thanks to the Trentino Circle, I organised a visit to Trentino and, for the first time, set foot on the land of my travelling ancestors, with the absolute certainty that it would not be the last time. I also started to learn the Italian language.

During my youth I studied to become a physical education teacher, but the call of art was stronger and led me to unexpected paths. As a self-taught artist, and making art my main activity, I started creating works for churches all over the country, participating in sculpture competitions and winning prizes, awards and scholarships both nationally and internationally.

To the traditional method of sculpture I added the use of the chainsaw for large works, a technique that opened the doors of the world for me. In 2017, I won a speedcarving (quick carving with chainsaws) championship in Italy. In the same year, and in the following year, I visited Castelnuovo, in Valsugana, the town my ancestors had left behind, where I made three sculptures as a testimony to the legacy of work left to us by our grandparents.

During those trips, I was told that the area from which my ancestors emigrated once boasted an important wood industry. I have several generations of carpenter, cabinetmaker and luthier relatives. The original ancient inhabitants of my land in Argentina also carved their canoes from tree trunks, as well as tools and everyday objects. I like to imagine that the blood flowing in my veins also contains some sap....

Art allows me to get close to people's souls, overcoming all cultural and language barriers. Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Ecuador, Italy, Germany, France, Holland, Israel and Cambodia are part of my journey. I make figurative sculptures, trying to portray people's culture and traditions, tell stories and preserve memories, reusing fallen tree trunks, many of which carry centuries of history in their DNA.

For some time, I have been organising a 'Biennial International Sculpture Symposium' in my city together with the Municipal Department of Culture. In the last edition we had the honour of hosting a sculptor from Trentino: Egidio Petri. All the works created during the symposium now belong to the city of Avellaneda. I have been teaching the art of woodcarving for 29 years. Together with the Associazione Trentini nel Mondo (Association of Trentino in the World), various Trentino Circles in Argentina, consulates, universities and municipalities, we organised a course in traditional wood sculpture on the theme of the Nativity, taught by Egidio Petri, from September to November 2024, with the aim of keeping our roots alive and conveying the sculptural heritage of Trentino tradition. Students from different locations in Argentina participated in the course.

I have been married for 20 years to Magdalena Giuliani, who is also a descendant of Trentino immigrants, and we have three children. This year she will accompany me for the first time to Italy on a sculptural tour.

The land where I was born has given me the opportunity to help it grow. Today I am also president of the City Council and we work on various projects with Italy, always keeping the link with neighbouring Trentino clubs alive.

I believe that I am, as indeed we all are, the synthesis of many paths that cross, intertwine and widen, creating new paths that will be travelled by those who will come after us.

The horizon in my beloved Avellaneda seems endless, but sometimes, if you look closely, over there (or maybe not even that far away), you feel as if you are seeing the mountains of Trentino.