On 9 May 2024, in Venice, Arsenale Nord – Giardino Thetis inaugurated an important RE-USE cooperation project, promoted by cultural institutions from four different European nations and financed by Creative Europe. The work, entitled “Bricole”, fits into the Venetian context as a tangible expression of the commitment to sustainability and reflection on the link between art and the environment. The artists Aneta Filipova and Gabriele Provenzano, led by Karin Reisovà, gallery owner and President of the Areacreativa42 Cultural Association, have expertly interpreted the theme of sustainability, obtaining the award with a work that transmits values connected to the valorisation and promotion of the territory, addressing at the same time the problem of environmental pollution in the Venetian context.
Aneta Filipova and Gabriele Provenzano, “Bricole”, 2024, vegetable resin, multi-material waste, iron, courtesy Karin Reisovà
«The general idea» – explain the artists – «emerged by observing the wooden poles which, in groups of three, indicate the navigable canals within which the water is deep enough to be crossed. In Venice they are called “Bricole”. The checkers are a bundle of bricole in the center of which a higher one is erected, usually equipped with a warning light». The project saw its genesis in October 2022, when a commission made up of several representatives of foreign nations met in Bratislava to start the selection process of artists and experts. Subsequently, a Hackathon was organized in Prague in April 2023, in which eight teams worked intensively to develop installation projects. During the construction phase, the artistic work saw the collaboration of the architect Antonietta Grandesso, Director of the Thetis Garden, who supported the artists by helping them adapt their project to the surrounding environment. Thanks to the precious contribution of Crea Cantieri del Contemporaneo, the installation was completed in October.
Aneta Filipova and Gabriele Provenzano, “Bricole”, (detail), 2024, vegetable resin, multi-material waste, iron, courtesy Karin Reisovà
Karin Reisovà explains: «We decided, by mutual agreement, to leave the sculpture here, outdoors, in the spaces of the host garden, to ensure that it entered into full dialogue with the surrounding environment. In this sense, we worked to create a certain aesthetic and structural harmony». «At the end of the training course – adds Gabriele Provenzano – we wanted to enhance the garden, on a cultural and artistic level. During the construction phase, several structural problems arose, linked to the material used for the work. Despite this, we adopted a vegetable resin as a binder, in perfect harmony with the theme». Specifically, the artists used Greek pitch to create the work: a yellow, solid and transparent vegetable resin, extracted from the conifers Pinus palustris and other pines belonging to the Pinaceae family. Each slab is made up of a mixture of resin mixed with fragments of plastic, tourist brochures, tickets and other waste from the Lagoon. The final effect recalls the remains of a civilization that has now disappeared, frozen in time, luminous and seductive, like insects trapped in amber: an emblem of our times.
Aneta Filipova and Gabriele Provenzano, “Bricole”, (detail), 2024, vegetable resin, multi-material waste, iron, courtesy Karin Reisovà
This solution integrates harmoniously with the garden, communicating with nature and the other works present. Furthermore, the bucolic space hosts an infinite number of works, among which stand out “Terzo Paradiso” by Michelangelo Pistoletto (2014) and “La Quercia” by Joseph Beuys, planted in 2007 by Lucrezia De Domizio Durini as a tribute to the seven thousand oaks planted in 1977 in Kassel by the great German master as part of his famous nature protection project. The majestic synergy between art and the environment translates into a work that is responsibly active towards sustainability. The meaning conveyed by it invites the public to reflect on the dichotomy between man and nature, thus suggesting new perspectives for the future. The “Bricole” work fits perfectly into the context of the Thetis Garden, a location which, due to its ancient history and geographical position, lends itself to being an ideal setting for the RE-USE project, within which the installation becomes a real symbol of social commitment for a more sustainable future.
Carlotta Thione
Info:
Aneta Filipova and Gabriele Provenzano. “Bricole”
05/09/2024 – permanent
North Arsenal – Thetis Garden
Curator: Karin Reisovà
via Giuseppe Garibaldi (Castello, Arsenale Nord), 30122 – Venezia
www.thetis.it/spazio-thetis
Carlotta Thione (Cuorgnè, 1999), is a Contemporary Art Historian and editorial collaborator of several magazines. She is also the author of texts and critical insights for exhibitions and moderator of cultural events. Her interests focus not only on contemporary art, but also on Italian songwriting.
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