servizio civile e malefatte... di città di venezia

Bags carrying within them the city's happenings, memories from itinerant exhibitions, territorial events and performances.
Their original context however, can hardly be tracked down; they are one-of-kind collectable artefacts, decontextualized shreds, wittingly re-sewn in order to create unique, non serial craftworks..
Colours and shapes take on a new guise thanks to foreshortenings selected from a large measure range, scraps recreating visual evocative revelation, ready to fulfil their primary use of carrying around: it is, in fact, a matter of bags!
The "malefatte... di città di venezia" project actually came in being on plain intuition: where are those enormous advertising banners used in Venice and throughout the mainland for promotional purposes, stowed once their use is over?
In taking his solitary walks, reflecting, observing how at times, huge parts of banners are recycled if needed as cover-ups for boats, cars, etc. (thanks to their waterproof resistance) is how Fabrizio Olivetti art director of the Venice City Hall's Graphics Office drew up this new plan.
He created a reliable working group and found brotherly accomplices such as: Francesca Codrino graphic designer and Lucio Schiavon illustrator who both got immediately keenly involved in this project.
The Ufficio Servizio Civile (Venice City Hall's Civile Service Office) also joined in and cooperated with much enthusiasm..
The actual accomplishment task instead, was entrusted to the Rio Terà dei Pensieri cooperative which offers vocational training activities since 1994 and occasionally produces artefacts within the Venetian jails.
The proceeds of the sales will serve as a fund to this important social activity.

The first benefit is perceivable: recycling material that can no longer be used and what's more, extremely unusual!
Banners in fact are regularly made of plastic material called polyvinyl or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) consisting sometimes times of several layers.
The production of PVC began on industrial scale began in the mid-1920s in the U.S.A. and since the 1930s in Europe, after several experimental events dating back to the past century..
Marghera was also an important source of production.

There are, however, some environmental contraindications, and several European associations of plastic manufacturers have already established a voluntary program aiming to break down the effects generated in the production phase..
Some criticism is also noted for disposal: degradation takes a great deal of time if thermally destroyed at unsuitable temperatures and could mean harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
Recycling is the best starting channel to a low impact re-use of material.

It's even better when, before literally becoming rubbish, it's totally re-used: just what's most ironically being proposed all along with it's artistic and social nuances, by the "malefatte... di città di venezia" project.

The PVC banners produced to promote the city's events turning lively into bags.
A slightly ironical Città di Venezia project in cooperation with the Civil Service Office
and the Rio Terà dei Pensieri, an organization which provides labourers from the
Santa Maria Maggiore men's jail..