Lisa Castellani, Enrica Cavarzan,
Maria Zanchi, Gloria Safont-Tria
A record for Pellestrina
All together to make the longest piece of
lace in the world
Presentation
event: June 16th 2007
Project promoted by Love Difference
"A record for Pellestrina
is the product of many different hands' work, united to create a collective
handiwork representing culture, identity and landscape of the island.
Lisa Castellani, Enrica Cavarzan, Maria Zanchi, Gloria Safont-Tria
and the inhabitants of the island have been working together to create
A record for Pellestrina. Starting by recovering the antique,
local craftmade tradition of making pieces of lace and through the
dialogue with all the small groups active there, the artists have
become the connectors of the local social reality, inviting to reflect
upon the issues of dialogue and community, individual and collective
work, tradition and future."
Pellestrina, an island in the Venetian lagoon situated between Venice
and Chioggia (Veneto – Italy), is a small natural paradise.
It is a place rich in charm and ancient culture relating to the traditions
of the fishermen, fruit and vegetable sellers, sea men and of the
lace makers. An island composed of three strips: sea, land and lagoon.
This territory retains a strong sense of belonging. Despite this rhythm
of life and work being handed down from generation to generation for
centuries, these things are increasingly disappearing for the islanders.
Pillow lace making was the main female occupation on the island and
was taught at school, harking back to an important tradition. A skill
which today is struggling to exist as it is no longer an economic
necessity. Pillow lace making is a precious artefact, made more or
less by the women who still can be found outside their homes or at
the centre of some associations working and chatting together.
The project “A record for Pellestrina” aimed to initiate
from this particular tradition in order to activate the people who
live on Pellestrina and through group work, to spark an internal reflection
around the concept of community, social transformation and dialogue
with the outside world. Everyone was invited to participate in the
project, creating through this ancient technique, a fragment that
represents the whole; or making a personal contribution according
to each ones own abilities, contributing to the accomplishment of
the goal: the project looks to involve the greatest part of the population,
from all age groups.
All the pieces of lace, which were based on drawings specifically
made by a local designer, were joined together, in order to form one
single strip, extended as long as was possible. The strip would represent
the island in its particular form, narrow and elongated, through its
typical methods of construction and in the symbols that identify it.
The joining of the pieces of lace would be a public event, organised
along with the island Associations, where the length of the completed
piece would be announced.
On completion of this joining together, the longest piece of lace
in the world would belong to the inhabitants of Pellestrina.
The project "A Record for Pellestrina",
was initiated last summer, on the occasion of the participation of
the Fondazione at the 51st International Exhibition of Art, the Venice
Biennale, it will end with an event in the island of Pellestrina on
June 16th 2007, during the 52nd edition of the Venice Biennale. >>>
We believe that to be able to succeed
together in the realisation of a similar goal is the beginning of
other attempt to break new records.
At the end of January 2007 the pillow lace reached 100 metres of length;
at the end of May 2007 it measures more than 400 metres: a great achievement
welcomed with enthusiasm by all the contributors.
Current pillow lace
lenght: 435 metres |
|
click on the image
to see the lace |
The project was initiated during the
workshop Art - City - Society: new visions and perspectives
for Venice, Island of San Servolo, Venice - 2005
further
information about the workshop
|
click
on the image for the gallery |
download
the documentation about the project (Italian
only)
download
the video in .AVI format (divx)
download the
in .MOV format
|
