Gomma aka Ermanno Guarneri is an Italian activist, writer, publisher and video maker based in Milano in Northern Italy.

ADELAIDE

Gomma's Australian tour kicked off in Adelaide at the United Trades and Labor Council of SA's Community Cultural Development and New Media Symposium, which ran between 24 - 26 September 1996. This was a national forum at which Gomma presented a keynote address on 24 September to over 150 delegates. Gomma's talk, illustrated by striking video montage, outlined some of the ways the peoples of Milan access squatted social centres to produce a range of interventions in mainstream culture and social issues. 

In this workshop Gomma expanded on the themes flagged during the morning to a group of over 30 people squashed in a stuffy room oozing computers at Ngapartji, Adelaide's newly opened Co-operative Multimedia Centre.

On 26 September Gomma ran a three hour workshop at Ngapartji to a floating group of 12 - 18 symposium delegates where he showed more video material, and demonstrated the DECODER bulletin board system.

Doppio Teatro, Adelaide's bi-cultural Italo-Australian theatre company, hosted Gomma on 26 September. In addition to meeting with members of Adelaide's Italian community and press, he conducted a public talk at the Nexus Cabaret Space which was attended by approximately 40 people who had the opportunity to eat lunch and chat with Gomma after his talk.

SYDNEY

On 28 September Gomma gave a public lecture at the Art Gallery of New South Wales as part of the Carnivale Festival. The 40 or so people who attended his talk represented a range of interests including arts workers from Western Sydney, media, students, internet enthusiasts, curators and practising artists and musicians. On 3 October Gomma, along with Virogenesis agent Matt Fuller gave a talk to design students at the University of Western Sydney, Nepean.

PERTH

The Perth Institute of Contemporary Art hosted agents Gomma and Scanner for a presentation at the Alexander Mackie Library on 12 October. This was very well attended, with an audience of 143 people.