LAGOON: WATER, ENERGY AND BEARABLE DEVELOPMENT

For the second consecutive year the collaboration with Fenice s.p.a., company of the E.D.P. group operating in the eco-energetic field, has led us to choose a theme linked to energy and to bearable development. I think this choice to find roots already in the spirit the contest "La Fenice et des Artistes" was announced the first time, the theme of the first edition was "Venice" but the subject inspired the artists' work through such a wide evocation that we found ourselves facing works of art in which the city was interpreted in the most various ways. Yet then, many of the artists grasped the aspect of the environmental protection necessary to defend the lagoon city from the pressure of tourism, from the high tide and from the impending industrial development overlooking the lagoon. .

The second edition had as its theme "THE PHOENIX BETWEEN MYTH AND REALITY" and as subtitle: "Venice and its magic filtered through the phoenix's myth", this subject more than the first one led many artists in the direction in which, really thanks to the rising collaboration with Fenice s.p.a., the contest's theme was addressed in the third edition: "THE PHOENIX'S MYTH AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT" has been interpreted with great expressive ability by all the contestants, who understanding the importance of the matter have given the best of themselves.

The theme of the forth contest "LAGOON: WATER, ENERGY AND BEARABLE DEVELOPMENT" has become, after the recent episodes of black outs, of great actuality and the artists, always excellent interpreters of their time, have been able to grasp with great sensibility what the organization meant addressing their attention in that direction. Although we had the surprise of realizing that, in the most rigorous respect of the theme, Venice was forcefully returned protagonist of the works as a demonstration of how much the lagoon city, which since ever fights with the elements, but which has intelligently exploited with defensive and commercial purposes the surrounding nature, constitutes a great example of bearable development.

I would like to recall that since the XIV century the Serenissima Repubblica promoted severe laws to protect the environment, taking care of organizing the exploitation of the woods, to guarantee the continuity of the wood production necessary for the construction of its ships and for the piling of the emerging lands for the city development in the lagoon. The building of the banks and their protection was projected to increase the city bearable development, a law even stated the capital punishment for those who would damage a bank: a broken bank could have compromised the safety of the whole lagoon system and to what was connected with it, and so this really law recommended the punishment to be effected as an example for the future.

This short historical consideration leads me to think that the theme of the forth edition to has been chosen coherently with that from the first three editions and convinces me once more, if ever there was the necessity, that the magic city will be able to give us countless hints of discussion also in the future.

Bergamo, 13 ottobre 2003

The trustee, Giacomo Pellegrini

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