Journey through contemporary Italian architecture: the exhibition in Lugo

The travel experience can be enriched and expanded through the discovery of contemporary architecture, an itinerary that leads in search of new trends andforms of expression in today’s architectural creativity. A tangible example of this perspective is the exhibition Viaggio in Italia. Itineraries of Contemporary Architecture, scheduled from May 12 to June 23, 2024 in the inner courtyard of the Rocca Estense in Lugo. Promoted by ProViaggiArchitettura and supported by the Municipality of Lugo, the Federation of the orders of architects, planners, landscape architects and conservators of Emilia-Romagna and the OAPPC - Order of architects, planners, landscape architects and conservators of the province of Ravenna, this exhibition aims to offer an immersion in contemporary Italian architecture, exploring its forms, languages and visions.

Through a curated and evocative itinerary, visitors will have the opportunity to discover significant works created by contemporary Italian architects, fully understanding the cultural and social context in which they were born. It is a journey that aims to go beyond mere aesthetic contemplation, but becomes an exploration of the values, challenges and aspirations of contemporary Italian architecture, also posing itself as an opportunity for dialogue and discussion among the public, architects and experts in the field.

The path, both physical and exhibition, is articulated through the visit of 19 places distributed along the entire Italian peninsula, from North to South. These territories serve as the setting for a selection of projects conceived by young Italian architectural firms, which boast about ten years of activity behind them. While not exhaustive, this overview offers an interesting glimpse into the work of a new generation of architects, who conduct their research through a path that passes through the academy, the building site and architectural competitions, which are considered a privileged route to design excellence. The exhibition is curated by Roberto Bosi and Mattia Pavarotti, who is responsible for selecting the studios involved. Participating firms include a25architetti, AM3 Architetti Associati, AMAA, Archisbang Associates Architecture, BALANCE, BDR bureau, Ciclostile Architettura, DEMOGO, ellevuelle architetti, ErranteArchitetture, FONDAMENTA, Messner Architects, MD41, OASI architects, orizzontale, studio wok, Supervoid and VG13 Architects. The submitted projects range across a diverse range of contexts and functions, including an agricultural pavilion, a liturgical hall, a contemporary art gallery, a farmstead converted into a hospitality space, a funeral home, and a pavilion intended for temporary exhibitions and lectures on the memory of the mining landscape. These also include libraries, artists’ studios, residences, offices and schools, thus contributing to the enrichment of the country’s cultural and natural heritage. The selection of these projects was guided by research focused on the link between public and private space, between exterior and interior, aiming to create a relational process that encourages the sharing of spaces.

The exhibition design, curated by the horizontal collective, also adopts an approach focused on the concept of relationship. Avoiding waste and repurposing a design previously conceived for the 2022 exhibition Squares. Phenomenologies of the Unexpected, the installation connects with the historic building, reconfiguring it into spaces and relationships. The panels, similar to pages in a photo album, privilege immediate viewing to create a complete and comprehensive narrative, while the base of the exhibition wall extends to create a seating area that invites visitors to sit down, thus transforming the space from a simple passage courtyard to a place of interaction and insight.

Marcello Bacchini, director of ProViaggiArchitettura, explains, “The exhibition stands as an urban intervention, as ephemeral architecture that becomes an element of aggregation, making public space transformative and permeable. The project aims to promote the relationships that are generated between citizens and the city, as well as the synergies that have been created among the partners who have actively joined the initiative by supporting its implementation. An example of how to network by bringing added value to the community.”

Journey to Italy. Itineraries of Contemporary Architecture is the result of the dialogue between the Municipality of Lugo and ProViaggiArchitettura, with the support of Edilpiù, as part of the development of cultural projects. The exhibition represents a further step in the research started with previous successes such as Federico Babina’s Lunette Pavilion, the documentary film Openings. Looks Beyond the Limit by Francesca Molteni, LuOgo, and Squares. Phenomenologies of the Unexpected. All these initiatives have helped to promote a fruitful debate on the culture of the project, of which Journey to Italy stands as a wide-ranging synthesis. Journey to Italy, which began with the publication of a volume by LetteraVentidue Edizioni in 2024, does not stop here. It will continue with the creation of a map, both architectural and emotional, of the “places of affection” of each of the designers involved. These places will be narrated during the inaugural conference entitled “The Journey Continues,” scheduled in Lugo on May 11, 2024, during Romagna in Fiore, a solidarity initiative organized by the Ravenna Festival to support and assist communities affected by the 2023 flood.

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Journey through contemporary Italian architecture: the exhibition in Lugo

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