Studio Details

Location
Venice, Italy

Date
3-14th July, 2023

Studio Directors in Venice
Matteo Ghidoni (principal, Salottobuono)
Alessandro Pasero (architect, Salottobuono)
in collaboration with Jean-Benoît Vétillard

Studio Project
Temporary Public Space, Ephemeral Architecture

Field Trips and Site Visits
Fondazione Querini Stampalia renovated and expanded by Carlo Scarpa and Mario Botta

Giudecca and San Giorgio Maggiore islands

Studio Project

Scenes of Public Life

Between 1740 and 1782 the self-taught painter Gabriel Bella portrayed 67 scenes of public Venetian life. Entirely preserved at the Querini Stampalia Foundation in Venice, this body of paintings represents a precious historical document about the relationships between the architecture of the city, the daily life of its inhabitants, and the staging of major collective rituals. Subtracted from the nostalgic image of a fragile and decadent environment, the stones of Venice are violently challenged by events such as the Bulls race on Rialto Bridge, the Bear hunting in Campo Sant’Angelo, the Paddle game, or the Doge Funerals. 

Most of these events are activated by more or less ephemeral structures that collaborate with the monumental architecture of the city. They offer backdrops, stages, stairs, enclosures and sceneries to support the rituals: they frame the actions of the collective body. Our investigation on Venice will start with an in-depth analysis of this rich set of public devices. Isolated from their historical context, they can be observed from the point of view of their specific spatial performance. Our analysis will highlight positions, proportions, construction techniques and ornaments: architectural (re)drawing will be the main operative tool for our research.

Observed from a contemporary perspective, Bella’s public scenes can be interpreted as renderings of an ambitious urban project that we will retroactively formulate. Being based on highly eloquent but partial images, this project is subject to interpretation, misunderstanding, mistakes, and a certain degree of invention. It will investigate the potential of a temporary project to orient future developments. It will question the dominant narrations of contemporary Venice: What kind of scenes would we portray today? What spaces would frame them? What rituals would take place there?

For the 3rd iteration of this design-based research, we propose to focus on the Festa del Redentore: probably the most powerful expression of how “scenes of public life” are still being generated in the city of Venice. We will observe the overlapping of religious and popular rules, we will study their structures at different scales, we will design temporary architectures to support and expand both ancient and contemporary rituals. By chance, the calendar of Venice Studio ends with the very beginning of this year’s Redentore celebrations, so the final projects will be tested immediately.

Salottobuono

Salottobuono produces architecture in any possible form: research, drawing, printed matter, temporary installations and actual buildings.

Run by Matteo Ghidoni in Milan, Salottobuono has served as editor of the “Instructions and Manuals” section of Abitare magazine (2007-10) and as creative director of Domus magazine (2011, 2012). The office has taken part in the Venice Biennale (2008, 2012, 2014), and designed the Italian Pavilion in 2010. Salottobuono published the “Manual of Decolonization” (2010) and “Fundamental Acts” (2016).

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