Photo credit: Meii Soh.
Performance, 2024
3D modelling by Ohii Katya
3D lighting, animation and rendering by Michele Zanotti Sound by Krzysztof Baginski
On the 23rd of November 1980, one of the most devastating earthquakes in modern Italian history destroyed much of the Irpinia region.
My grandfather had been appointed major of the city of Avellino a few weeks prior to the catastrophic event, after decades as a teacher. At the time, he was affiliated with Democrazia Cristiana, the party that ruled Italy for almost 50 years, laying the basis for the clientelism and corruption of today’s political class.
An investigation, best known as Irpinia-gate, was established 10 years later, assessing the responsibilities for the fraudulent way in which the reconstruction funds were handled. A large number of prefabricated buildings were erected immediately after the earthquake, as a temporary solution to host the families affected by it. Yet, over 40 years later, they are still in place and have violently reshaped the urban fabric of the city. Recovering documents from my grandfather’s personal files, local public archives, and interviews with individuals directly involved in the reconstruction, I started an ongoing process of notations and de-archiving. Performative stage re-enactment was used to recount the institutional violence that took place after the earthquake, offering the stage to unfold remote narratives that are the lived realities of the inhabitants of the city.
After the earthquake, a delegation of Japanese scientists arrived in Avellino. Their declared intent was to study the sites of the disaster in order to collect useful data for the development of anti-seismic strategies to be shared with the local and international community. Despite being greeted as tech-savvy saviors, no one has ever heard back from them since their return to Japan.
ACT 2, THE CLOCK TOWER
My grandfather fought for 10 years to reconstruct the city's clock tower. Growing up, I simply thought it was the fixation of an old man. Then, one day, I read Ernesto De Martino’s story of the farmer who had a panic attack as he was losing sight of the bell tower of his village and had to be taken back.
ACT 3, THE COUNCILOR
Armida Tino was the councilor for culture during my grandfather’s brief mandate. She was also married to the architect responsible for the first master plan of the city of Avellino of 1971, and the second one of 1987. The third act is a re-enactment of some of the conversations Armida and I had during the past months, focusing on the relationship between the current urban environment of the city and the permanence of the prefabricated buildings.