Cartoline Postali – Curated by Maurizio Bortolotti

The great architect Yona Friedman’s first exhibition in an Italian art gallery focuses on an architectural interpretation of two Italian cities, Brescia and Venice, which belong to the same area despite subtle differences. Friedman’s works range from his central concept of Ville Spatiale, developed in the nineteen fifties, by way of numerous variants, to a non-geometric model of Ville Spatiale taking pride of place in the Massimo Minini Gallery.

His conception of architecture is that it must be possible for the inhabitants themselves to create it, the architect merely providing them with hints on how to do it. This sort of architecture, in Friedman’s view, produces communication even before it produces architecture as the creation of architectural codes and, lastly, buildings. This conception of his is tangential to his idea of art. In his work, art and architecture become a single means for constructing a dimension of communication between people that goes beyond any distinction between the two arts, creating a new area beyond all possible specialisation.

Cartoline postali presents images of Venice and Brescia where Friedman has displayed his architectural skills, revolving around the central idea of Ville Spatiale. It offers both a conception of architecture and a vision in which the daily lives of the people are inseparable from aesthetic representation.

The experimental character of Friedman’s work consists precisely on the fact that it incorporates numerous elements – theory (biology, cybernetics, anthropology, psychology and the human sciences in general), art, architecture and animated films. This broadening of horizons arises from the need to build a more modern perspective, a vision of modernity. “After the second world war – says Friedman – the only chance we had was to build something new.” However, his idea of Modernity is not an abstraction he imposes on the inhabitants of a modern city, but rather an idea that re-uses the existing and takes the wishes of the residents into account. Instead of creating icon-buildings as many contemporary architects do, Friedman views architecture as being an innate part of the inhabitants’ way of life, in line with their requirements, offering the tools to build individual micro-visions. In this, his conception is very close to the mechanisms that preside over life in contemporary Asian cities, one of the reasons why his work is so contemporary.

At the Massimo Minini Gallery the artist presents a large installation in the main hall, together with picture postcard images of Brescia and Venice, several animated films and a model of the Bridge of Liberty in Venice.

Set up by Maria Pesavento and Gabriele Maria Gallo.

Points of View and The making of by Yona Friedman interpreted by Fabrice Luchini for ARTE TV.

Utopia city writed by Yona Friedman and directed by Emmanuel Bellegarde interpreted by Michael Lonsdale (Canal + France). All the films are © Premiere Heure. Thank you to Claire Marquet.