[SCENARIO]
Taking inspiration from medicine and biology world, the installation unveil the symbiotic relationship between the two indipendent organisms city and man, demonstrating how the absence of one causing the collapse of the other. In addition, the artwork was designed also for emphasize one of the main problems in Italy: the abandonment of the southern countries. The causes that push people (youth in particular) to leave their homeland are complex and full of contradictions but the most worrying things is that, without inhabitants, the small villages that characterize this unique part of country die slowly, with no possibilities to pass on the next generations all the customs and traditions. This is the first step toward the decay of a nation, the loss of identity.
[IDEALIZATION]
To stage all these aspects, the installation works as if it were a vein that carries blood and oxygen necessary for the survival of every living being and its created by the combination of two distinct elements: a red rope, which represents a blood vessel and men, that is the blood that flows inside the urban organism. The rope has different diameters which is reduced when approaches the buildings, occupying the urban space by clinging to the walls and protuberances like balconies, pipes and railings. Along the vein path, few ropes have been left free to interact with visitors who, pulling them, deformed the installation simulating the pumping of blood inside the body and propagating the movement throughout the artwork, showing the vitality of the village. The more people moves the ropes, the more blood is pumped.
It’s clear that the installation can only work in presence of people, which is the key element to avoid the weakening (or worse death) of a country and its identity. A space can only survive if people walk and live inside it. Otherwise, all that remains is the skeleton. The absence of life.
[WORK PROCESS]
The project in a real site-specific artwork and was developed completely on site without any preliminary checks, leaving the artwork free to adapt to the context as if it were born exactly in that period. Another important part of the development was the involvement of the inhabitants, who actively collaborated during the assembly phases by offering materials (like a ladder, adhesive tape, ecc...), food, water and coffee.
The project was presented in Noci (Bari) during the Urban Art Festival "Esseri Urbani_Eterotopia"
More information: https://www.esseriurbani.it/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SDehygg4no&ab
