Kim’s Video

Collection In response to the generous Public Offer

of New York by Yongman Kim, the City of Salemi, Sicily,

is pleased to offer a new home to this
preeminent film collection.
The following proposal provides a detailed

in Salemi, Sicily. explanation of our current plans for how

to ensure the success of this project.

The former Matrice Cathedral, today earthquake memorial.

 Over the past two decades, Mr. Yongman Kim has amassed
an incredibly diverse and totally unique collection of films from
around the world, which he has made available to the general
public for rent, via his iconic New York City outlet, Kim’s Video,
which today counts over 200,000 cinephiles among its member-
ship. Indeed, it is directly thanks to the support of these
film lovers that Kim’s Video collection has grown to include
its nearly 55,000 titles. However, new technologies have
changed renting habits, and in late 2008, this St. Mark’s
Place landmark will definitively close its doors.
As a sign of dedication and thanks to all members of Kim’s
Video, Mr. Kim has issued a public offer, seeking a new home
for the continued use of this important movie archive. The offer
specifically requires that sufficient space be available for the
collection to remain totally intact, and that members of Kim’s
Video will continue to have access to the films in the future.
In response to this public offer, the City of Salemi hereby
proposes not only to host the collection in accordance with
these terms, but also to give it new life, by ensuring con-
tinued growth of this cultural treasure.
To this end, space for the ‘Kim’s Video Collection of New York’
has been secured in the recently restored Museo Civico, which
can accommodate the archive on three interconnected floors.
The facilities also include additional rooms for on-site screen-
ing, as well a large courtyard for open-air projections, which

Kim’s Video allow multiple opportunities to showcase the richness of this

collection.

Collection Furthermore, a limited number of sleeping quarters are re-

served for use by visiting Kim’s members, to ensure a hospitable
welcome at the collection’s new home.

of New York As part of the City of Salemi’s commitment to Cinema, rela-

tionships with a wide variety of International Film Festivals will

in Salemi, Sicily. ensure both as wide a possible audience for these films, as
well as the perpetual growth of the archive.
 The former Jesuit College building,
now Museo Civico.

Salemi, Sicily.
Salemi is a historical town of Western Sicily founded
during the 4th century b.C. on the Sican urban site of
Halyciae, on the Mount of Roses. The name ‘Salemi’
comes from the Arabic ‘Salem’ and the Hebrew
‘Shalom’, both meaning ‘peace’ and ‘health’. The town
is known for having been the first capital of Italy, where
Giuseppe Garibaldi put up the three-colored flag for
the very first time, in 1860.
Over the past millennia, Salemi has developed a unique
multicultural history, being conquered and ruled in turn
by many mediterranean civilitations, such as the Cartha-
ginians, the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, the
the 1968 earthquake
Arabs and the Normans. The urban layout of Salemi is In more recent times, Salemi is known
itself an evidence of its multiethnic past, with its Arabian for the severe earthquake which
quarter–the Rabato–and the Jewish one–the Giudecca, devastated its historical center and
with the majestic Arabian-Norman Castle overlooking the entire Valley of Belice during the
the town. night of January 14, 1968.
After the earthquake, a new residen-
tial area was built around the Mount
of Roses in order to house the main
part of Salemi citizens, who had to
abandon the historical center.

The Museo Civico main entrance

in via Francesco d’Aguirre.
progetto What began as a devastating tragedy has become
today a unique opportunity for both the town and
Terremoto its lovers and visitors. Salemi is now undergoing a
radical process of renovation led by its newly
elected Mayor Vittorio Sgarbi and his Council.
Mayor Sgarbi and Alderman to Creativity Oliviero
Toscani have developed an experimental project
called Progetto Terremoto (literally ‘Project Earth-
quake’) that focuses on bringing new energy to
the historical center of Salemi, and especially on
reconstructing the remaining earthquake-damaged
buildings that have not yet been renovated.
Progetto Terremoto includes an innovative initiative
called ‘Homes for 1 Euro,’ through which the City of
Salemi plans to sell these historic buildings to the
public–each for the symbolic price of 1 Euro–on
condition the new owners renovate the structures
according to rigorous criteria established by the
team of Council appointed architects .

a new home Built in 1632, the former Jesuit College building is located
right in the historical town center. Since 1986, it hosts the
for Kim’s Video Museo Civico, and houses part of the artistic heritage that
has been recovered after the earthquake.
Collection The museum includes a number of ancient sculptures that
of New York date back to the 14th and 15th century, among which
Francesco Laurana’s marble statue of San Giuliano L’Ospi-
tatore. Its 18th century chapel is a replica of the holy house
of Loreto, (Casa della Madonna).
Thanks to its architectural layout, Mayor Vittorio Sgarbi and
Alderman Oliviero Toscani have identified this former
Jesuit Library as the most suitable location in Salemi to
host the Kim’s Video Collection of New York City.
The library consists of a single open-space that develops
over three levels, interconnected by a single stair. In addi-
tion to the large open-space, the museum includes a wide
courtyard for outdoor projections and several rooms that
can be converted into small-scale movie-theaters.
These purpose-built screening rooms will allow the public–
especially Kim’s members– the opportunity for on-site
viewing of films from the Collection.

festivals
Through relationships with film festivals worldwide, the
Collection will serve as a depository of official selections
from a wide range of projects. Some agreements are now
in place, especially with the Venice Biennale Film Festival
(below); others will soon be announced.
The Collection will also serve as a resource for programmers
–although DVD/VHS medium is inadequate for most large-
screen projections, contemporary film festivals will have
access to the collection, in order to showcase antecedents
of their current selections. More broadly, the collection can
serve as inspiration for thematic showings of rare titles.
Venice Biennale
The Biennale Archive in Venice will contribute to the project
. with the following actions, and more:
Provide technical training to staff in Salemi on Collection
Management techniques;
. Donate a copy of the entire Venice Film Festival Collection
(1,000 titles);
. Donate a copy of the Biennale’s custom-built Collection
Management software;
. Cooperate on a new joint-project to explore legal and tech-
nical means for digital film distribution.
Proposed
use of the
Collection
Neverending Festival
The town of Salemi is planning to launch the Neverending
Festival, a non-stop public projection of Kim’s Video Col-
lection DVDs in their new home.
permanent translation workshop
In cooperation with the University of Palermo, Salemi is
willing to host a permanent workshop that will translate
and subtitle part of the DVDs in the Collection to make
them available to a broader audience.
city of Indipendent Cinema
Combining such a unique collection with the cultural and
historical heritage of Salemi as well as with its touristic
beauties and facilities will enable the town to propose itself
to the public as the ‘City of Independent Cinema’ and
promote an annual Indies Festival and to twin itself with
similar places and projects around the world.
on-site accommodation
Part of the Museo Civico building will be converted into a
boarding space to accommodate Kim’s Video members or
students and film lovers willing to visit the town for a full-
immersion holiday in the Collection.
Besides this, Salemi will offer a number of holiday pack-
ages for different budgets, that will be promoted through
the new Collection website that will be online by the end
of January.
shooting locations
Thanks to the extremely diverse landscape of the island
(crystal clear waters with high cliffs and sand beaches; hills
and mountains and the Etna volcano; forests and wide
plains as far as the eye can see) and to the architectural
layout of the town (Arabic, Roman, Jewish and Norman
hystoric buildings blend in the ancient urban layout, next to
stunning Greek, pre-Roman and Roman archeological
sites), together with the modern infrastructures and facilities
of Palermo (international airport 30 mins from Salemi), the
town is planning to launch a new project to promote the
region as an endless studio, especially dedicated to shooting
independent cinema.
www.kimsvideo.org
A new website for the Kim’s Video Collection of New York
in Salemi will be online by the end of January 2009 to
ensure continuity of service to its members.
keeping up with
Kim’s Video members
For two decades, the New York film community has sup-
ported Kim’s Video, and as a result, the world is now in a
position to benefit from this important film archive. The
City of Salemi recognizes not only the contribution that
Yongman Kim has made to Cinema, but also, the important
role played by all Kim’s members, without whom this
collection would not have been possible. We hope to main-
tain a close relationship with the Kim’s Community, both
by updating them regularly about the project, and by inviting
them as honored guests in Salemi.
For paid-up Kim’s members, access to the collection will
always be free of charge. Furthermore, Salemi will provide
accomm odations to both Kim’s members and students
who want to have access to the collection, at minimum
charge (according to availability and booking in advance).
organizing and managing
the Collection
logistics and transport
Contact has been made with a professional moving company,
which will coordinate the physical move from New York to
Italy. In consultation with Kim’s staff, they will box the films
in such a way to preserve the order which has thus far been
meticulously been kept in the Collection. This order will be
re-established once the collection arrives in Italy.
name of the Collection
The collection shall forever be known as the ‘Kim’s Video
Collection of New York’.
inauguration
An official press conference will be held in the first week of
February to inform the Italian and International media
about the project and inauguration ceremony for the open-
ing of the new home will be held in Spring 2009.
a final word from
mayor Vittorio Sgarbi
Thanking Yongman Kim for his longtime commitment to
Cinema, and with special appreciation for all Kim’s Video
members that have supported him over the years, we look
forward to welcoming you all very soon in Salemi,

In the first instance, it is our intention to maintain the present

organization of the Collection, categorized by Country,
then by Director. In the longer term, we hope to make the
entire catalog available online, to allow selection of films
through a multitude of criteria (writers, producers, actors,
DPs, etc). In the medium term, we plan to transfer the VHS
copies to DVD, in order to ensure their long-term preser-
vation of titles which are otherwise out-of-print.

Meet
the team
Vittorio Sgarbi (right), Mayor
and Oliviero Toscani (left),
Alderman to Creativity.
Born in Ferrara on May 8, 1952, Sgarbi graduated in phylosophy
and specialized in history of art at the University of Bologna.
Former Deputy at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Sgarbi is
today Mayor of the city of Salemi and the curator of the most
prestigious art exhibitions on the Italian territory.
Amongst the most qualified critics in art history, he is a famous
histrionic character known for his dialectic and artistic qualities
who never leaves the audience or the media indifferent.
His presence, be it in a TV program or in editorial or artistic
context, has the power to heighten the attention of large
audiences, to which Sgarbi knows how to address in a direct,
simple, sarcastic and effective way.
Vittorio Sgarbi has always worked for divulging the concept
of beauty and that of respect for art to broad audiences, awa-
kening many sleeping consciences in the country known as ‘the
cradle of art’; people so used to monuments and statues as to
forget about their obligation to preserve them.
Son of the first photoreporter of the Corriere della Sera,
Toscani was born in Milan in 1942. He studied photography
and graphic design at the Kunstgewerbeschule of Zürich
between 1961 and 1965.
He is internationally known for being the creative mind behind
some of the most famous magazines and brands in the world
and corporate image as well as advertising campaigns through
the years, for Esprit, Chanel, Fiorucci and Prenatal. As a
fashion photographer, he worked and still does for Elle, Vogue,
GQ, Harper ‘s Bazaar, Esquire, Stern and many others in their
worldwide editions.
From 1982 to 2000, he made United Colors of Benetton
become one of the most widely known brands, creating its
brand image, identity and communication strategy as well as
developing its presence online and creating Playlife, Benetton’s
sportswear brand.
In 1990, he conceived, created and directed Colors, the first
global magazine in the world that soon became a cult maga-
zine, followed and copied by all of the vanguards in the world
of communication.
In 1993, he invented, founded and directed Fabrica, the inter-
national center for arts and research in modern communication,
hosted in a building designed by Japanese architect Tadao
Ando. Under Toscani’s direction, Fabrica produced editorial
projects, books, TV programs and exhibitions for the United
He published a number of books of art history and critics for
different publishers and curated many exhibitions, both in Italy
and abroad.
Public awards: Academician of the Accademia Georgica di
Treia and of the Rubiconia Accademia dei Filopatridi, President
of the Scientific Committe of the Museo Campano of Capua
and of the Accademia di Belle Arti of Urbino; member of the
Commissione per le Attività Culturali of the City Councils of
Cremona and Lecce; Art and Architectural Restoration Commis-
sioner of the city of Padua and Superintendent for the Enhance-
ment of the Villa del Casale of Piazza Armerina.
Sgarbi is Director of the Superintendence to the Historical and
Artistic Heritage of Venice and won the Flaiano International
TV Award in 2000. He was elected Deputy of the Italian
Government in 1992 and 2001 and Member of the European
Parliament in 1999.
Nations, UNCRH, La Repubblica, Arte, MTV, RAI, Mediaset, as
well as films that won three Jury Awards in Cannes and Venice
Film Festival. Toscani’s projects were exhibited at Venice
Biennale, in Sao Paulo, at Milan Triennale as well as in the
museums of modern art in Mexico City, Helsinki, Rome, Lausanne,
Frankfurt and in a couple of dozens of museums worldwide.
Toscani also received a number of awards, such as four Palmes
d’Or in Cannes, the Grand Prix of UNESCO, the Grand Prix
of Affichage twice as well as a number of awards of the Art
Directors’ Club of New York, Tokyo and Milan.
Toscani taught visual communication in two universities and
wrote three books on communication. From 1999 to 2000 he
has been Creative Director of Talk Miramax in New York and
took part in a number of TV projects.
In 2007 he won the new Saatchi&Saatchi Clio Hero Show.
After over three decades of editorial innovation, advertising,
filmmaking and TV, he is now interested in communication
creativity applied to the various media and works in his new
research center on modern communication named La Sterpaia.
Amongst his most recent projects: consultancy with Region of
Calabria and a few social campaigns dedicated to prevention
of anorexia and of violence against women; the communication
project for the centennial of the Inter Football Club, with the
book ‘Inter! 100 Years of Emotions’ published by Skira.
Toscani lives in Tuscany, produces olive oil and breeds horses.
The transition project for Kim’s Video Collection of New York to Italy has been promoted by Clio,
Fondazione per la Cultura Contemporanea, and managed and produced by the City Council of
Salemi through its Department of Creativity.

the team at the Department of Creativity in Salemi

fondazione
per la cultura
contemporanea

Franca Pauli, Dario Colombo and Glen Hyman from Fondazione Clio