Souvenir

Is it still possible to work on the image of Venice adding a contemporary souvenir to the gondola in Murano glass, the Doge's Palace in plastic or impressionist painting of the Rialto Bridge? Venice is an indescribable complexity of architectural objects perfectly composed, meticulously carved and placed in a plane tray, abstract, wet (bathed) with light and reflections. No city seems better suited to the commodification of its image. Yet, Venice escapes its performances remaining an experience not to summarize.

Thinking on the area of Porto Marghera as recovery territory and urban reactivation, extension and integration of the historical city, requires to accept the inability to replicate Venice, to approximate it, achieve it or imitate it. The project aims to make an original Venetian iconography that has the communicative synthesis of tourist souvenir. An attempt to test the extent to which the contemporary project can build on compromise, on the tension and contrast between the idea of a city and its representation. A reflection on Venice, unique and on endless "Venices" met, imagined, dreamed.

project team: Alessandro Tessari, Matteo Bandiera, Nicola Di Pietro, German Pro Lozano
project: Urban plan. Porto Marghera, Italy
status: Exhibition
date: 2015.05
client: Venice Pavillion, Biennale of Architecture of Venice