La vita è un caos con poche oasi e qualche momento comico. W.A.

“Possiamo dire che l’architettura che noi vorremmo essere poesia dovreb­be chiamarsi armonia, come un bellissimo viso di donna. Ci sono forme che esprimono qualche cosa. L’architettura è un linguaggio molto difficile da comprendere – è misterioso, a differenza delle altre arti, della musica in particolare, più direttamente comprensibili… Il valore di un’opera consiste nella sua espressione – quando una cosa è espressa bene, il suo valore diviene molto alto.” (Carlo Scarpa, 1976)

Carlo Scarpa was born in 1906 in Venice and died 30 yeras ago. Curiously I first bumped into his works that celebrate the death in which he managed to achieve a high level of beautiness before knowing his other realisations.
There are places – as his cemeteries or tombs or even, let’s call them so, architectonic elements – that help us experience a peculiar moment of quieteness and reflection, and that perfeclty exemplify his say: “the value of an artwork consists in its expression – when it is well expressed, its value becomes really high.“
Easily the solemnity and magnificence of burial grounds’ entrances make us silent and meditative.
I had thouhgt about those places-non places also during O’AIR this past summer conversations I had with Heldi Pema. The Albanese artist gave me an interesting point about Milan’s Cimitero Monumentale: it represents an open air sculpture museum (or rather a sculpture park – a part from its use as place for the eternal rest.) But who consider it as such? Who ever goes there primarily to take a tour through the statues? The prerspectives? The architectures? I have never passed through those gates myself. Not even once (no matter how, I put it in my “places to see once in a lifetime” for the next time I’ll have some free time in Milan.)
However, the walking – consciously! – in a burial ground unquestionably awakens a certain awe, a respect that has to do with some Western (Christian?) culture and approach to death. I am not able to make further comments about it but it is true that most of the time we are too occupied to deal with the whole sensation we perceive, and the purpose that bring us to those places for-the-eternal-rest that we don’t even consider the experience of beautiness created for those who are gone. (Usually, it has to be said, not expressly designed to pleasure those who are alive…)

The magazine Wallpaper recently published its fashion shoot in Scarpa’s Brion-Vega Cemetery near Treviso, Italy.
Have a look.