Urbs Scripta, the first festival dedicated to historical graffiti will enliven the splendid Venice in the coming days. It is an event never held in Italy; in terms of size, character and variety of proposals, it is a unique experience on the European scene.
Urbs Scripta, the graffiti festival
Four days, from 13 to 16 April next, entirely dedicated to the places, meanings, study and discovery of historical graffiti Venetians. Particular forms of expression which, starting from an isolated "imported" case of the XNUMXth century (the celebrated Lion of Piraeus located in front of the Arsenale) cover six hundred years of history. A period that goes from the end of the fourteenth century to Second after war between chronicles, games, human figures, slogans for the election of doges or lamentations of prisoners. And, again, games, names, crosses and dates, an extraordinary set of memory aids, scattered throughout Venice and its islands. In churches, palaces, monuments. Graffiti is part of the living history left on the stones by ordinary people in a way that perhaps has no equal anywhere else, in extent and beauty. People using graffiti tell their stories and suddenly make the city's monuments bearer of deeper and different meanings.
However without ever denying the much more sumptuous story, written by doges, artists, poetesses, queens and captains leaning towards the conquest of the East. The Venetian graffiti festival has as artistic director and scientific director the writer Alberto Toso Fei and the historian and popularizer Desi Marangon. The initiative includes visiting sessions at the Fontego dei Tedeschi, a Palazzo Ducale and the Lazzaretto Nuovo. And then again a conference at the Ateneo Veneto in which the intervention of Professor Carlo Tedeschi of the University of Chieti, one of the leading experts in historical graffiti, is expected. Also scheduled is a debate on the theme of the occupation of public spaces in cities. In addition to a documentary exhibition and a treasure hunt along the calli which, starting from Old Procuratie headquarters of The Human Safety Net, will offer the participants an opportunity for great entertainment.
(Images of the Facebook page The graffiti of Venice)
