’89 domande a South Manifesto – Art Collective

Name? (F) Federico Avella. (M) Marco Basile.

How old are you? (F) 21. (M) 22.

Where do you live? (F) Rome but I’m going back and forth
between Miami. (M) Mainly Berlin.

What’s your job? It’s hard to explain… We do a lot of jobs at once. We take things
and make them beautiful.

What did you study? We studied at middle school together and then we are both
high school dropouts. (M) And I studied here in Milan trying to do fashion
management, but it was boring, so it didn’t last. (F) I went to the Centro
Sperimentale, one of the most beautiful schools in Italy to do with cinema, and I
studied acting in the American method.

How did you come up with South Manifesto? South Manifesto is kinda new, but we
have actually been working on it for our whole life basically. We have been doing
styling and creative direction in the musical world and with brands, so we always did
work for other people, but it was the first time that we said, okay, we have all the
things we need to do our own thing. We just gave a name to it.

Where did the name South Manifesto come from? (F) I can say the first name? The
first name was South Hardcore. (M) I didn’t fuck with it. (F) But then we found this
word that is full of meaning, that is Manifesto. (M) We were speaking with this guy,
he’s 50 and has worked in fashion his whole life, and he said: “Guys I love the name
because every movement has a manifesto.” Like, we never saw it that way but now
we see it that way, you know the south can mean anything. (F) I like that it’s like a
declaration of the south.

Is there a politics behind South Manifesto? No, not really. (M) I think the way we
grew up and the place we grew up is far from everything political. Life is always the
same, so we grew really far from that.

Do you vote? (M) I voted once. For the mayor of the city. I was just 18, first time I
could vote so I was excited by it but… Of course, if it happens that there’s a
challenging thing where I feel like I need to vote, but right now I see all of them as
equal, I don’t see any differences between them, so I don’t even get interested in
that. (F) I’m interested but i don’t have faith.

Do you consider South Manifesto a community? (F) My problem is that I don’t feel
part of a community in Italy. I don’t care about the state, I don’t care about that stuff,
nothing. I don’t believe in communities… It’s too general. (M) But it’s not so easy,
sometimes you get into a community, and you don’t really know who you are, but it
gets flattering sometimes you know. And if you think about it, you know, all the best
groups were all so different from each other. (F) And I don’t like it when people judge
communities, it’s all so individualistic.

Do you not think apolitism is a bit lame? We just don’t care.

What are your thoughts on Israel and Palestine? (M) It’s really far from us and our
everyday life but we should talk about it more. Every war should be spoken about,
it’s become so normal and that’s the problem, we’re getting too used to it. (F) I don’t
like talking about stuff where I don’t know everything. (M) I think it’s about people.
Armies do war, states do war, but real-life people, I think nobody wants war in the
world.

Where did you meet? In middle school when we like 12,11.

Who made the first move? We were in the same class, shitty class, really weird
compared to the other people in the class. Like weird in a bad way at the time. (F)
We were not cool. The thing was, that we always knew that we were doing, but at
that time it wasn’t cool the stuff we were into. We just never gave a fuck.

Was there someone who inspired you at 12 years old? (M) This guy had this store in
Naples, he was called Piero, and this store was kinda the only time I felt a part of a
community. I started working there when I was twelve and that was the greatest thing
that happened in my life. He was our mentor; I owe him everything. He saw something in us for sure. (F) He gave us the power of believing in ourselves. He was
a mix of a big brother and a father.

What was the first job you did together? Piero was the first one to ask us to shoot
an editorial. We were like fourteen.

Who is someone controversial who you admire? Maradona.

Do you have a motto? Hustle.

Is there an amount of money that would make you do a porno together? (M)
Together with a girl or together just me and him? (F) No.

Have you had threesome together? In the past.

Who would you want to do a porno with? (M) Really good question, lately I can say
Megan the Stallion for sure or Emrata…Gotta give it to her. (F) The Clermont twins.
What are your star signs? (F) I’m an Aries but I don’t believe in that shit. (M) Yeah,
same but I’m a Cancer.

In what ways did growing up in Naples dictate the people you have become? In
every way, honestly. We always say we are from Napoli, not from Italy.

Who are the baddest boys out there right now? (F) You don’t know them.

Who is someone who’s career you’d want to manage? (M) Mac Miller. (F) I don’t
think that I can manage someone.

How old were you when you started doing drugs? Not old enough, that’s for sure.

How old when you had your first ciggarette? 12. (M) I didn’t even like it at first, I preferred
joints. We were smoking these contraband Greek cigarettes.

What drugs were you doing when you first started? No comment. Let’s say we
wanted to try everything. But it’s not cool anymore.

Do you still do drugs? (M) Yeah, I smoke joints. (F) Medicine is the new drug.

Do you consider weed a drug? (M) When I’m in Italy I do.

Who are your style icons? Our icons are people on the streets. We’re inspired by
regular people.

Who would you like to work with in the future? (F) Prada. (M) Sorrentino.

Favorite places to go out in Naples? We love the restaurant, Mimi alla Ferrovia. But
we try to stay around. We go to our friends’ houses a lot. We love to go to the sea.

You have both spent a lot of time abroad, is there a reason you keep coming back to
Italy? (M) We kinda need it. We need the feeling of getting tired of a place. (F) I need
the perspective. I don’t like to travel but I like to live in a place.

What place is next? (M) Berlin and Paris for sure. (F) Paris.

What was summer like as a kid in Naples? It wasn’t that good, everyone was
leaving. It happened a lot that it was only us there.

Did you travel with your family when you were younger? (F) My father was on
research so we went all over the world – Brazil, South Africa, America. (M) I grew up
with my mom only, so I did small trips with my father and some with my mom.

How do you see yourself retired? (M) Dead, I don’t see myself living long enough to
be retired. (F) I think in Brazil.

What are your top 3 movies? (F) La conseguenza dall’amore, by Paolo Sorrentino.
“L’Uomo in Più” also by Sorrentino. And “Mery per Sempre” by Marco Risi.
(M) Taxi Driver, for sure. “L’Uomo in Più” by Sorrentino. And “Christiane F.”

Describe each other in three words? (M) Intransigent, cocky, and curious. (F) I would
say sexy, maybe perfectionist, and a bit controversial.

Out of the two of you, who’s more controversial? It depends on the context, but
the problem is we like to fight, but we never do things to be controversial.

Has there ever been a time when you were truly disappointed in the other? I think
once but we are like brothers.

Morning or night? (F) Night. (M) Used to be night owl my whole life but I’m
discovering the morning.

What’s next for South Manifesto? We have some projects and events coming up. But
who knows where we’ll be at the end of the year.

Are you working on anything else? (F) I have to shoot a series for Italian television,
my first role.

Do you see yourselves becoming fathers? (M) I thought I was going to be a dad at
like 16 but there are some moments when I see the way the world is going. (F) I
think I want a family but before that I want a sports car just with two seats.

What about husbands? Yeah.

Do you believe in monogamy? (F) In general, yes. For me, I don’t know. But I have
found the beauty in it. But I don’t really think humans are made for it. (M) It can work.

Have you cheated? Yes.

Are you single? (M) Now, no. (F) One day yes, one day no. Let’s say that I’m in love.

What’s the chicest piece of clothing you own? (F) Maybe something see-through
or by Dries van Noten, but I wear the same thing every day. (M) Chicest? Tailoredmade Neapolitan suit.

What are 3 clothing pieces you think everyone should own? (M) Converse. Black
leather pant. And a bomber. (F) I’m very into boots. Besides that, real fur, real
leather, and real vintage.

Rich or famous? Rich.

How much money do you have in your bank account right now? (M) We prefer cash.
I have more money in my bank account though. Fede has holes in his pockets. (F) I
like to spend everything that I have.

What’s the biggest purchase you’ve made? (M) A watch. A Rolex that I sold for 3k
more than I got it for. But I wear things, I don’t believe in buying expensive things to
watch them. (F) I think hotels.

Have you ever trashed a hotel? Today, it was so bad, that it was perfect.

What are you listening to right now? (M) The last song I played was 1979 by The
Smashing Pumpkins. (F) This morning, I was playing the soundtrack of the Mussolini
series starring Luca Marinelli.

What did you grow up listening to? (M) I was into Nas and lil Wayne. When I met
Federico, he introduced me to like, Nirvana, which was so new to me. (F) With my
father, I grew you listening to the Genesis, Pink Floyd.

What scares you most? (M) Rats. If I see one, I could faint. (F) Mine is to be
misunderstood or to not leave a mark on the world. I want to amaze everyone.

What do you believe in? (M) Nothing really. (F) I feel something, I don’t know
how to describe it. That’s a question you have to ask me in, like, 20 years.

What’s your hot take? (M) I love New York pizza more than Italian Pizza. (F) I don’t
want to say it.

What are you taking with you to a deserted island? (F) I would die by a panic attack
so I would take some Xanax. One month alone, I’d go crazy. (M) Weed, for sure. A
gun, even if the island is deserted. And sunglasses, at that point.

How would you describe yourself as a cube? (M) I would say
that it each face will let you rethink about the face you have seen. So, the faces
separate would be so different. But together in the cube they make sense. (F) Mine
would be all black Rubik’s cube.

The same thing but with a horse? (F) I love horses, they are maybe the most
beautiful animals in the world. It would be black and very fast. M) It would be a white
one with black spots. And with like a mohawk.

What’s been your best age so far? (F) I got it tatted on myself, I was sixteen and got
16 tatted on me.

Thoughts on MILFS? (M) Big fan. (F) Big fan.

Do you believe in an afterlife? (M) I’m starting to now. (F) I don’t, but I believe that
you’re still living if you’re in the mind of a person.

If you were a movie character, which one would you be? (M) Ray Liotta, Good fellas.
(F) It’s maybe a bit strange, but I feel very connected to Jep Gambardella’s character
in The Great Beauty.

Is there an age that you’re looking forward to? (M) No, I want to freeze time at 22. (F)
I’m not very afraid of getting old.

If you weren’t doing what you’re doing now, what would you be doing? (F) I don’t see
myself as anything else but that’s because I’m open to everything. (M) A basketball
player.

Who is an actor that would play you in a movie? (M) I have it, but it could be
pretentious… River Phoenix for sure. I would’ve liked him to shave his head and play
me when I was 16. (F) Mickey Rourke, a legend.

Any weird dreams you’ve had recently? (F) Always. The usual is people trying to kill
me, but strange people. Always by people that I love the most. And another one that
is maybe an insecurity, when people betray me. (M) I don’t dream at night. The first 5
mins, I dream, then it’s like a black hole.

What’s the last thing that made you cry? (M) It’s been a while since the last time. (F)
It was for an audition. I know the triggers, but my teacher said to never tell anyone
what they were because if I tell you, it doesn’t work anymore.

Do you think people have a misconception of me? (M) When we meet people for the
first time, I can see that they have a whole idea of us. Sometimes, some points are
right, but a lot of times, they’re completely wrong. (F) A lot of people also tell us, I
didn’t know that you were like that. I think our faces speak very well.

Go to karaoke song? (F) Io non piango. (M) Walk on the Wild Side.

What one pack of cigarettes are you buying for the rest of your life? (F) Marlboro
light, but the American ones or Davidoff Gold. (M) Japanese parliament, they are the
best ever.

Do you believe that death is the only great equalizer? (F) Yes. (M) I won’t say that because I
escaped death 3 time. Every time I was certain I was dying, and I understood that it
doesn’t change a lot.

Your ultimate pet peeve. (M) I get mad when people look at you weirdly
when you’re smoking in an open place… Just move. (F) I hate wannabes, when
people try to be someone they’re not.

Do you believe in destiny? (F) Yeah, it’s the same thing about being chosen. (M) A
bit yeah.

Do you believe in karma? (M) I don’t. All the people that I’ve seen doing good things
in life, they were betrayed, or life didn’t give them anything back most of the time. (F)
No, I don’t believe in karma.

What are you looking forward to the most? (F) Making my voice louder. And to move
forward in my career. (M) Getting to the point where there are no more logistical
problems.

Describe south manifesto in 3 words? Hardcore. Youth. Hustle.

What is one thing you wished for as a kid and didn’t get? (F) It sounds very sad but a
big group of friends. When I was a kid, I thought that having that was the most
important thing in life. But I discovered that less is better. (M) That people I knew
stayed with me my whole life.

What’s the craziest thing a girl has done to you? (F) Its very normal in Naples, she
got a tattoo of my name, Federico, on her wrist. (M) Same, but she didn’t want the
name, she wanted the autograph. She has a boyfriend now.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve done for a girl? (M) Early morning planes like three
times a week. (F) I think it was promises that I shouldn’t have made but I kept them.

What do you look for in a partner? (M) To be observant, it’s really important to me.
(F) Freedom and the ability to change. I hate when people say you don’t have to
change for a person. If someone loves you, change it. If its love, I can be a 7 today
and tomorrow she makes me an 8.

Have you always been so jaded? Oh always.