26 Aug Storia della Notte e Destino delle Comete
Have you ever thought about going back in time? Or perhaps traveling into the future, to see what lies ahead for the humanity? I’ve always found the great quantity of movies starting from this premise as a testimony to the relentless fascination people have with the irreversible nature of time.
On our last day in Venice, we somehow managed to start the day with the Italian Pavilion, knowing nothing about to expect- we could imagine it would be a large space, but we had no clue it is the first time in history it showcases the work of one single artist and that it would be such a revelatory experience. Gian Maria Tosatti ‘s monumental installation, History of the Night and Destiny of Comets, suddenly became the closest phenomenon to a raw, exhilarating time machine I have ever encountered.
The first section of the installation, History of the Night is composed of multiple rooms built around the rise and fall of the Italian Miracle, the massive industrialization that propelled the country after the second World War and that ended gradually, at the hand of people. This was such a powerful happening in my life, on so many different levels. Walking through the remnants of the factories, some literally dusty, some with a specific oily smell, you feel like you have been granted your own private tour of the past. At the same time, you become acutely aware it’s not quite literally the past- because where are the people that would operate everything around? If they’re gone, and you’re just surrounded with the remnants, then it must be the present? It’s a whirlwind of emotions, and I believe they have been heightened by the fact the curator and the artist traveled all throughout Italy to visit factories, and have rented or bought machinery in the process, hence the variety of industries portrayed in the rooms.
Of course, I must aknowledge the fact that perhaps the impact it had on me personally is also linked to the history of my country- during the Communist regime, colossal industrialization was the key to making money, so growing up the main story I would hear from relatives, from school, from the TV was that Romania had so many factories, yet after the Revolution they were sold and turned into scraps. Yes, I am the child that grew up with stories of industrial decay, without ever actually seeing the inside of a deserted factory, so this installation was perhaps a sort of closure, offering answers and further questions at the same time.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of the LED-lightened labyrinth, was the point when a white room finished with some stairs- never have I ever felt more like a character from a movie as I climbed the steps and opened the door- the dim light of the apartment I was suddenly in heightened the sense of voyeurism- I realized I had been propelled to a higher floor of a fashion factory- there were sewing machines, patiently waiting for their workers to return someday. It proved to be a whole apartment, as I took a walk into an abandoned bedroom, then back to the hallway to find the path to continue my journey.
In his preparation for this Biennale, Gian Maria Tosatti ‘s journey through Italy revealed so much more than the iconic sights we love to visit or ravel about throughout country. The many versions of the Italian dream industrialization are unraveled gradually, and the transition of light, dropping in intensity as you move forward, accentuates the feeling that although this was envisioned by people, they were also the ones that ended up destroying it. I found it as a metaphor to the way people wanted to facilitate their lives and bring more comfort into them, but managed to affect the climate in the process. What started as a way to improve our living became a burden in the long term, as the planet is facing unprecedented issues.
This brings us to the second part of the installation- Destiny of Comets – I entered a pitch-black room and it was such an unsettling feeling, as there were also these noises I couldn’t quite comprehend at first- and I thought, “Well, this is the end for all of us”. However, as my eyes became accustomed to the space, I noticed I was on a platform facing water, and I could see points of light moving in the background. This is when I knew it was the beacon of hope at the end of my expedition. Afterwards, I learned the lights symbolize fireflies, inspired by Pier Paolo Pasolini’s quote “I would give the whole of Montedison for a firefly” (Montedison being a capitalist world which led to the extinction of the creatures). The furious sea in the room may be a reference to the Great Flood, or may just as well be a logical prediction of the global warming and what the future holds for us. Yet, the addition of the glowing points that guide us through the darkness gives us hope that perhaps not everything is lost, if we wake up in time and become aware of all our actions.
In the words of the curator of “History of the Night and Destiny of Comets” at the Italian Pavilion, Eugenio Viola, “Optimism, these days, must be an ethical necessity, almost a moral obligation”.
All photos taken by © Adrian Cojocaru
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