Irenebrination: Notes on Architecture, Art, Fashion, Fashion Law, Science & Technology

Concealing Kaleidoscopes: Riff Studio's Window From the Future @ The 18th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia

At the 2021 Chicago Architecture Bienniale, Riff Studio - a New York-based collaborative bringing together designers Rekha Auguste-Nelson, Farnoosh Rafaie, and Isabel Strauss - presented a project entitled "Architecture of Reparations" (AOR).

The project delved into the history and impact of the "slum" clearance program - carried out by the city and state governments during the Illinois Institute of Technology campus expansion and Chicago's urban renewal program - in Bronzeville. This historic South Side Chicago neighborhood was once a vibrant Black Metropolis. The clearance facilitated land condemnation and subsequent land acquisition for private gain.

Riff Studio developed the AOR project in response to the historic injustices inflicted upon the Black community.

Through a combination of public policy analysis, architectural history, and reparations, the project uncovered the intentional displacement of thousands of families and advocated for Reparations through housing in Bronzeville.

By presenting a public request for proposals (RFP), the collective invited new ideas for restorative housing, addressing vacancy and disinvestment while honoring the neighborhood's past. The project also prompted people to reconsider the design of cities and explore possibilities for communal space.

Riff Studio brought a response to the AOR proposal at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice (until 26th November).

Entitled "Case Study House: Chicago" the proposal incorporates various forms of protective domestic programming that aim to address and alleviate the anxiety experienced by Black individuals living in the United States, recognising that the persecution of African Americans extends beyond the legal abolition of slavery.

The piece on display in the Central Pavilion at the Giardini, entitled "A Window (Detail) from the Future (Case Study House)" alludes to protective domestic techniques. Utilizing methods such as crystal glass manufacturing and "ayeneh kari" mirror mosaics (a traditional decorative technique of embedding fragments of mirrored glass in plaster) developed by Farnoosh Rafaie, the design refracts light and distorts forms. By acting as a kaleidoscope, the window with its Islamic pattern combined with a Modernist exploration of abstract geometric forms, obscures the residents inside, making it difficult to pinpoint or target them from the street.

Riff Studio's design is symbolically placed in front of Carlo Scarpa’s window that opens up on the canal outside and that was rediscovered while looking at the original plan for the building during the making of the 16th Architecture Biennale.

The intricate pattern of Riff Studio's window looks like a lace motif and this intriguing detail holds potential for further exploration within the fashion context.

It would be interesting to see if a Black fashion designer would be willing to incorporate the pattern in a collection. By juxtaposing the notions of hiding and revealing, concealment and disclosure, designs incorporating such a pattern would indeed weave through the interplay of shadows and transparency on the human body an architectural narrative and represent a thought-provoking symbolism.

Black Fantastic: urbanAC's "Land Narratives" @ The 18th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia

Today is Juneteenth National Independence Day, a federal holiday in the US. Historically known as Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day and Emancipation Day, this holiday commemorates the end of slavery in America. No matter where we come from or where we live at the moment, this day should be an opportunity to educate ourselves and question history.

As seen in previous posts dedicated to Juneteenth, art can help us doing so, but also architecture, so, let's move from the latter and in particular from an installation at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice (until 26th November).

Architect, planner, and educator Toni L. Griffin has presented at the Biennale "Land Narratives: Fantastic Futures" in the Central Pavilion.

With a background in urban design and planning, Griffin leads her transdisciplinary firm, urban American city (urbanAC), and serves as the founder and director of the Just City Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Design. At the university, she holds the position of Professor in Practice of urban planning.

Griffin's project, "Land Narratives: Fantastic Futures," delves into the histories of Chicago's South Side neighborhoods known as the "Black Belt." It acknowledges the immense untapped creative potential that has been stifled for generations due to segregation and vacant lands. By examining these narratives, Griffin sheds light on the profound impact of these neighborhoods and their inhabitants.

Griffin acknowledges the dystopic past that is an integral part of African American history, but her project emphasizes that this narrative is not solely defined by pain. Even within the spaces and bodies that bear the weight of this trauma, there exists a sense of the extraordinary that fuels resilience and creativity. Griffin's installation at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition can therefore be interpreted as a testament to the power of design in addressing historical injustices and envisioning a more inclusive and vibrant future.

The project takes inspiration from the works of the late scholar Richard Iton, particularly his acclaimed book titled "In Search of the Black Fantastic: Politics and Popular Culture in the Post-Civil Rights Era". "Black Fantastic is deliberately provocative; suggestive of something wicked, magical,” reads the foreword to his book, "[The] fantastic serves as a space of the other, both spatially and racially." Like Iton, Griffin employs the concept of "Black Fantastic" to disrupt and fragment the confines of so-called "rational" modernity, employing alternative and unconventional strategies.

To shape her project, Griffin conducted interviews with eight individuals from Chicago. These residents share their recollections of the land as well as their dreams of "fantastic futures" for their neighborhoods.

Prompting her subjects, ranging from 25 to 80 years old, to transcend conventional constraints, Griffin employs the metaphor of the superhero to challenge them in envisioning progressive scenarios for their communities. One manifestation of this "superhero" concept takes the form of a flying figure representing the Jesse White Tumblers, a renowned gymnastics troupe and long-standing institution in Chicago that has served urban youth since 1959.

Griffin's installation employs a combination of collage, mapping, video, audio, and 3D-printed clay vessels to convey the cultural practices, joys, and boundless visions of her subjects. The displayed vessels are arranged in a circular formation on a symbolic plot of vacant land, exposing its latent monetary value and the potential to cultivate Black wealth.

These 3D-printed sound objects contain the voices of each interviewed Chicagoan. The textured patterns on each vessel correspond to the frequency map of their recorded interviews. The shape of each vessel is influenced by the individuals' memories of place and the superpowers they would employ to create spaces characterized by Black joy, empowerment, and fulfillment.

Additionally, mixed media collages of the eight Black Chicagoans are presented. Each of them is pictured with their superpowers: Father Tolliver possesses the ability to alleviate suffering; Rodney can facilitate understanding and connectedness; Janeen has memory and mind reading capabilities; Tim possesses the willpower to heal; Loyal displays super-human strength and flight; Faher can grow food from his hands; Mashaune wields the power of mental persuasion, and Lillie can manipulate climate.

These portraits incorporate imagery such as flyers, butterflies, and hair, each symbolizing distinct meanings. Butterflies allude to the transcendent nature of Black culture, while hair represents the interconnectedness of Black individuals across the Black diaspora. Flyers signify Black resilience, excellence, and ascension in the face of adversity, and the depiction of land emphasizes the prevalence of generational land vacancies in the historic Black Belt neighborhood on Chicago's South Side.

The map included in the installation brings scale to the abundance of vacant land, showing how it can be imagined as Black space and wealth if the eight Black Chicagoans owned and controlled a collective Fantastic Future. The map serves as a means of reclaiming the space within the city that was once restricted to Black Americans, allowing them to not only inhabit but thrive within it.

In this installation narratives of traumas are transformed into narratives of hope as the ownership of land is reclaimed and economic prosperity becomes a tangible reality. In this way, Griffin inspires us all to envision an uplifting future informed by the concept of the "Black fantastic" in which every individual, regardless of their background, can contribute to the creation of vibrant and inclusive environments.

"Land Narratives" serves therefore as a testament to the resilience and creative potential of Black individuals, inspiring a future where a true sense of belonging and pride is accessible to all.

Crafted Blossoms & Flower Metaphors in Botanical Appliqués

Flowers have long been a timeless source of inspiration in fashion. Their exquisite colours and textures have indeed an irresistible allure for designers working on all sorts of collections, from Haute Couture to Ready-to-Wear and Resort, no matter the season.

At Valentino's Spring/Summer 2024 men's runway show, held on Friday in the courtyard of Milan's Statale University (Valentino Garavani had first presented his menswear collection in Milan back in 1985, so this was a way to pay homage to that event), most designs were brought to life by floral motifs.

Embroidered flowers adorned lapels and replaced ties, jackets were covered in sequinned flowers or featured prints of oversized blooms. An emerald green jacket featured dense three-dimensional embroideries of white flowers. The floral motifs in the collection were also used to subvert masculinity and masculine tropes, introducing a delicate and gentle quality inspired by the grace of flowers.

Floral elements were also employed to uplift the overall mood, punctuated by quotes from Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life (the book was sent out as invitation to the show), such as "Things get broken and sometimes they get repaired, and in most cases, you realize that no matter what gets damaged, life rearranges itself to compensate for your loss, sometimes wonderfully," printed across a black tailored suit, at the front of a pair of denim trousers and on the bags.

In this case the flowers on the garments complemented the words of resilience printed on the designs and vice versa. But there are designs in which floral appliqués silently convey a message.

An example could be a white linen mini-dress with one shoulder strap designed by Cinzia Ruggeri in the mid-'80s that was decorated with a repeated motif of nymphaea flowers, also known as water lilies (not to be confused with lotus flowers, check the leaves on the dress).

Three-dimensionality here was achieved through the layering of the three parts that formed the water lily decorative motif – the green leaf and two layers of petals. Appliqued on the dress, the flowers looked as if they floated on the fabric as they would have floated on a pond (while the one decorating the end of the shoulder strap looked as if it had drifted away in a poetically rebellious gesture...). Linen is a light fabric and, rather than embellishing the flowers with heavy beads and sequins, Ruggeri used multiple layers of the textile to create the floral decorations, ingeniously preserving in this way the lightness of the design, and ensuring its sustainability.

The dress was also a way to promote linen: at the time Ruggeri was the artistic director of the Commissione Tutela Lino (Commission for the Protection of Linen) and collaborated with the Centro Tutela Lino (Centre for the Protection of Linen) - organisations that promoted this fabric in Italy.

At the time linen was traditionally used for more classical pieces in both men and womenswear, and for home textiles, but, employing it for her designs for the ready-to-wear label Bloom and for her eponymous label, Ruggeri proved this fabric could have been used for more modern, playful and whimsical creations, like this dress that could be considered as an oxymoronic creation since it is made entirely of linen, a luxurious fabric, but it is still practical; it bursts with life, but it is remarkably wearable.

Besides, beneath this tapestry of floral appliqués there may be a hidden meaning. Rather than by Monet, a painter passionate about water lilies, this dress may indeed have been inspired by the nature of this aquatic plant.

The scientific name of the water lily comes from Greek mythology: nymphs were beautiful water spirits that often drowned innocent people who visited the creeks or ponds they protected. This beautiful yet dangerous aspect of the plant may have been on Ruggeri's mind, but the designer probably was fascinated more by the fact that, like the lotus flower, water lilies blossom in seemingly unlikely places, they grow indeed from the muddy bottom of a body of water. Besides, some water lilies open only during the day and close at night (others open only in the evening), recreating a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

So you can perceive this design just as a pretty dress or embrace it as a manifesto for unyielding strength, calling upon the wearer to embody the resilience of water lilies emerging from the muddy depths of rivers and returning to blossom again and again, renewed and more splendid, almost to say: "You may try to submerge me, but you cannot extinguish my spirit."

Silver Surfers: ERL's Cinematic Fashion Collection Hits Pitti Uomo

Pitti Uomo has always been quick at jumping on the bandwagon of coolness by enlisting young and hip brands for engaging presentations during the trade show.

Unfortunately, though proving its trendy credentials, the trade show quite often ended up endorsing labels that then folded, went on hiatus or encountered challenges of other nature (Gareth Pugh, Band of Outsiders, Olympia Le-Tan, Thomas Tait, Gosha Rubchinskiy…).

In some cases, brands displayed a lack of originality, in others designers decided to drop out of fashion to pursue alternative careers.

Wrong investments, inadequate financial support, a lack of solid long-term development strategies or impatient investors deterred by losses and stagnant sales, were among the factors that also led to the swift demise of some of the brands that Pitti Uomo had hailed as game changers in the fashion industry.

There were also cases where brands, without proper financial guidance and consultancy, fell victim to flawed strategies (Olympia Le-Tan, for instance, left her eponymous label, which is now controlled by a shareholder who continues the brand's work without its creative founder). Additionally, there were artistic presentations meant to garner attention and generate media buzz rather than establish a lasting brand (Ruby Sterling).

This season, Pitti Uomo continued following trends by inviting LA-based brand ERL. With a background as a director, screenwriter and set designer, Eli Russell Linnetz directed music videos for Kanye West, designed the artist’s floating stage for The Life of Pablo Tour, created sets for Lady Gaga residency shows in Las Vegas, and shot campaigns for Yeezy and Skims, just to mention some of his previous achievements.

Linnetz gained recognition in 2018, after being introduced to Dover Street Market president and Rei Kawakubo's husband Adrian Joffe to produce a commercial for an Andy Warhol collaboration with Comme des Garçons Parfum. Realising Linnetz was a multi-talented creator, Joffe (sitting front row at Pitti's presentation) offered him a label under Dover Street Market's incubator program.

Linnetz went from strength to strength: his fame grew around the wave hoodie (View this photo), which received co-signs from Kanye West, but he became more popular when A$AP Rocky wore his upcycled quilt cape at the 2021 Met Gala. In the same year he put Kid Cudi in a wedding dress at the CFDA Fashion Awards (where Linnetz was nominated for Best American Emerging Designer of the Year).

Last year, ERL also collaborated with Dior on a menswear capsule collection showcased in Venice Beach and was a joint winner of LVMH's Karl Lagerfeld Prize.

At Pitti Uomo, Linnetz made his presence felt with a giant 1:1 scale recreation of the semi-submerged Statue of Liberty from the 1968 movie Planet of the Apes installed in the courtyard of the Fortezza da Basso.

Though this was a cinematic introduction to the story behind ERL's collection, it could have been interpreted in a symbolic way, almost a reference to an industry gradually sinking into chaos while still proclaiming its vitality.

During his fashion show at Palazzo Corsini, ERL chose to narrate a fairy tale set in the year 2176: while Florence is submerged under water (an unfortunate timing for such a story considering the disastrous flood in the Emilia Romagna region in Italy in May...) an ambassador is hosting a surreal ball in his palazzo. Due to the rising water, surfers from California arrive in Italy to ride the waves and unexpectedly join the masqueraded guests, causing a stir.

Real-life surfers from ERL's Venice Beach neighborhood took to the stage (for Dior's S/S 23 runway, ERL had already enlisted local surfers and skaters), blending the souvenirs they brought with them (including the Statue of Liberty crown and torch) with the found costumes.

The resulting collection featured futuristic silver wetsuits and body suits, flared trousers (that bore similarities to the billowing slacks in Dior's S/S 23 capsule collection ERL collaborated to) paired with frock coats and cartoonish top hats, and sparkling designs with decorative elements like the fishskin-silver lurex jacket covered with embroidered elements.

Quilts reappeared in basic grey or in a silver damask fabric with an oversized tassel attached, almost as if one of the surfers had taken the rich fabrics of the curtains at the palazzo and wrapped them around his body, fashioning a robe worthy of a king.

The fun and regal mood contrasted with darker moments introduced by a silver sweater with a skull donned by a model that wielded a baseball (did the gatecrashing at the palazzo turned into a violent riot maybe, or was this a reference to juvenile delinquency and to violent cinematic characters like the droogs in A Clockwork Orange?)

The silhouettes were accentuated by covetable accessories, including puffy skate shoes (reminiscent of the chunky footwear included in Dior's S/S 23 capsule) and rubber-framed sunglasses.

As a whole the offer was a bit thin as if ERL had distilled fashion through the lens of costume design.

The glittery silver wetsuits and the young model with a shield and sword, called to mind Leonardo Di Caprio's chainmail costume with partial shoulder armour in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo & Juliet (by Kym Barrett, the costume designer of The Matrix trilogy, Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending; incidentally here there was a touch of The Matrix in the black looks matched with dark glasses).

The cinematic references fit, considering Eli Russell Linnetz's background as a screenwriting student at the University of Southern California and the fact that, for this presentation, he worked with a lot of film prop houses and with the LA Opera on some of the designs.

A compelling story is often paramount to a remarkable fashion collection, and, while this presentation had a narrative, the collection was a bit thin and lacked substance. 

Yet this isn't a problem for Linnetz: if he fails in the fashion business, he can still pursue his other parallel careers as a film director, costume designer, visual artist and photographer.

As for the semi-submerged Statue of Liberty, well, it may have been a potent cinematic metaphor, but it would have been more prudent to prioritize sustainability over such a grand prop. Hopefully, the installation will be dismantled and recycled, as it would be a waste to just discard it.

For what regards the organizers of Pitti Uomo, they should instead understand that, while there is joy in discovering new promising talents, it is crucial to nurture these talents and allow them time to mature, develop their vocabulary, and establish a more prolific body of work before granting them carte blanche or hailing them as the next saviors of the fashion industry. Failing to do so only creates fleeting sensations rather than designers with enduring and credible careers.

AI, Artisanal Intelligence: Fendi Men's S/S 24

Fifteen years ago, luxury brands started showcasing their artisanal credentials inviting journalists and bloggers (and, in more recent years, influencers) to visit their factories or hosted events and shows in these locations.

This practice became popular since it allows these fashion houses to prove their commitment to craftsmanship, present their workforce, and showcase their state-of-the-art facilities equipped with modern machinery and eco-friendly technologies.

At times, factories were used as props: in 2010, Giles showcased his collection at the Ginori ceramics factory in Sesto Fiorentino, near Florence, during the Pitti trade show (unfortunately for the workers, two years later the factory went into liquidation).

In a similar vein, Fendi unveiled yesterday its take on Artisanal Intelligence rather than Artificial Intelligence, during a factory tour-cum-fashion show at Pitti Uomo.

For the event, guests were invited to Fendi's leather goods factory in Bagno a Ripoli, just outside Florence, where they were treated to a collection inspired by the tools, instruments, and uniforms of skilled craftspeople.

The collection featured an abundance of topstitched workwear and leather and denim aprons that at times integrated the actual tools used by the workers in crafting Fendi leather bags. Long and short aprons were styled as skirts, while tool belts added an industrial touch to elegant ensembles.

Tools also appeared as prints on shirts, but decorative printed motifs also included diagrams of Fendi bags.

Blue coats, jackets, and denim pieces adorned with the maison's iconic F-logo referenced instead the uniforms of blue-collar workers. The blue jackets and coats brought back memories of the late photographer Bill Cunningham, who would usually wear a worker's jacket for practical reasons and because he considered himself a humble worker. 

The denim pieces with the maison's F-logo carved into their surfaces (View this photo) evoked a sense of utility and functionality, while also being reminiscent of the nuances of aizome, a traditional Japanese indigo dyeing technique.

Attention to workwear details was evident, with hammer loops repurposed to secure a tailor's measuring tape on a shirt; accessory highlights ranged instead from bags designed to carry takeaway coffees to paper blend fabric bags and clog-like slingbacks.

In addition, the collection incorporated designs crafted using natural dyes derived from plants, such as vibrant green vests colored with nettles that added an organic and sustainable touch to the overall aesthetic.

The final black looks brought back elegance with halter neck shirting that exposed the back, while tone on tone floral embroideries, inspired by the flowers growing around the factory, replaced industrial tools as decorative motifs. Coats and suits also incorporated basting thread patterns, alluding to tailoring and the internal stitching of bags.

Denim and leather aprons have made their mark in fashion before, with Alexander McQueen's A/W 2009-10 menswear collection (View this photo) showcasing models donning leather aprons that evoked the attire of butchers.

A high-quality apron can actually be a versatile addition to revamp an old look (and it is a great functional piece while travelling...). In fact, if you like this style and you have limited sewing skills, you may still be able to craft your own leather apron with a lot of patience, sharp scissors, and sturdy automatic metal buttons (check out eBay for affordable leather, or go high-quality with leftovers from luxury fashion houses on Nona Source). For what regards the bags, always check out second hand shops, vintage markets and historical hardware stores in other countries, as you may unexpectedly find in these places incredibly durable and functional belt tools and bags that perfectly complement this aesthetic, but that won't break the bank.

For what regards the "Artisanal Intelligence" trend, well, it prompts further contemplation, as, for some aspects, it can be compared to poverty chic.

The latter consists in pretending you're poor while you're actually wealthy enough to be able to buy expensive pre-stressed clothes and accessories. In this case, instead, we will probably end up seeing a few fashionistas and influencers pretending of being artisans or playing at being the protagonist of Elio Petri's Lulu the Tool, without ever having touched a single tool in their lives or without ever having worked in a factory.

This trend and these displays in factories should actually make us all ponder a bit about the concept of craftsmanship luxury brands are promoting. While it is commendable to pay tribute to workers who contribute to their success, many of these factory workers in Italy are employed through temporary work agencies, rather than directly by the brands they produce items for (this system is in place in the Giulianova-based Gensi Group factory owned by Chanel and producing shoes for McQueen and Golden Goose among the others; not sure if Fendi's factory operates under similar circumstances). This arrangement often leaves skilled workers and artisans vulnerable, as they can be dismissed without the fashion house even being aware.

Besides, despite luxury brands praising the craftsmanship and skill of artisans, not many young people aspire to become artisans in today's society, for many different reasons. The allure of being a designer or working in more glamorous roles within the fashion industry often captivates young people who end up being drawn to other aspects of fashion, such as conceptualizing ideas or overseeing the overall vision of a collection, rather than engaging in the physical execution of the garments. After all, in a world driven by technology and digital innovation, the appeal of working with one's hands seems less attractive to some.

Last but not least, artisanal work often requires extensive training, apprenticeships, and years of experience to master the intricate techniques and craftsmanship involved. This path can be financially challenging, as entry-level artisan positions may not offer the same level of financial stability and career advancement as other roles in the industry. Therefore, to encourage the next generation to embrace the artisanal craft, it is essential for luxury brands and the industry as a whole to highlight the value, artistry, and potential for personal fulfillment that can be found in pursuing a career as an artisan.

At the end of the show, Silvia Venturini Fendi walked alongside her artisans, their enthusiasm evident. So there is hope that, in this particular instance, the fairy tale sold at the fashion show-cum-factory tour may truly reflect the reality - a reality where artisans are recognized, appreciated, and celebrated for their contributions to the fashion industry.

Artificial Intelligence & The Policy Challenge: European Union Vs United States

Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to dominate the headlines: recently Paul McCartney told BBC Radio 4's Today program that he has been working on recording the "last Beatles record" with the help of AI, using machine learning techniques to isolate John Lennon's voice and improve its quality from old cassette demos. In Germany, instead, around 300 people attended a Lutheran church service almost entirely generated by AI that featured ChatGPT-powered avatars, conducting prayer, music, sermons, and blessings (it is worth mentioning that the congregation didn't enjoy their cold and distanced approach...). 

Yet there are also other more technical news regarding AI regulation. Taking the lead in AI regulation, the European Union (EU) has been crafting the AI Act, a pioneering legislation that will govern Artificial Intelligence. As one of the world's first comprehensive laws in this domain, the AI Act aspires to establish a global standard for AI technology. Encompassing a wide range of applications, it covers automated medical diagnoses, some types of drones, the proliferation of AI-generated videos commonly known as deepfakes, and AI-powered bots like ChatGPT. By embracing these regulations, the EU seeks to strike a delicate balance between innovation and safeguarding the ethical and societal implications of AI.

Actually, governing AI is not easy first and foremost because the technology is rapidly developing and second because it is already being employed by ordinary people worldwide, especially in the creative industries, but it is also being applied in other sectors, including healthcare, even though no formal regulations are in place restricting AI. 

Despite the numerous social, ethical, and economic concerns surrounding AI, pressing the pause button, as suggested in a letter published by the Future of Life Institute a few months ago, may not be the most viable solution. Many websites and companies have already integrated AI tools into their systems, making it crucial to act swiftly and assume responsibility. The European Union (EU) has taken a proactive approach in this regard.

Currently, the EU has approved a draft legislation, which includes a ban on the police's use of live facial recognition technology in public spaces. Initially, center-right MEPs within the European People's Party (EPP) sought to protest against a complete ban on real-time facial recognition on European streets. However, the protest did not materialize, partly due to the absence of several politicians attending the funeral of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Italy. The final vote resulted in 499 in favor, 28 against, and 93 abstentions.

MEPs will now engage in detailed discussions with EU member states before finalizing the AI Act. Probably the longest debate will revolve around biometric data, with facial recognition being one of the most contentious issues. Regarding this issue, the EPP argues that the technology is crucial for combating crime, enhancing counter-terrorism intelligence, and aiding in the search for missing children. However, their arguments often prioritize security concerns without adequately addressing the need to establish limits that protect individuals from the risks of mass surveillance, such as in workplaces or schools, as well as discrimination. After all, even with legislation on AI in place, authorities would still have the ability to use biometric data, including CCTV footage, as they currently do to pursue criminals.

Copyright-wise, the upcoming legislation will impose certain obligations on developers of AI systems that will be required to disclose and publish all the works, including those of scientists, musicians, illustrators, photographers, and journalists, that were used for training purposes. Additionally, they will need to demonstrate that their training methods complied with existing copyright laws. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in severe consequences, from being asked to immediately remove their applications to facing fines of up to 7% of their revenue.

What's noteworthy is that the European Union (EU) is spearheading these efforts and leading the global agenda on AI regulation. In comparison, the United States appears to be lagging behind: there is indeed a prevailing sense that American lawmakers are uncertain about how to proceed, even as they heed warnings from tech experts about the impending risks.

The discussion in the US has largely revolved around the notion of AI gaining sentience, going rogue and turning against humanity, evoking a scenario reminiscent of science fiction movies. Yet, this focus on a hypothetical apocalypse overlooks the present impact of AI on various critical issues, such as surveillance, discrimination, and job displacement.

For example, AI algorithms wield significant influence over social media feeds, buy they also cause discrimination within housing and mortgage lending systems. Besides, AI-powered surveillance technologies have disproportionately targeted and, in some cases, misidentified individuals from Black and brown communities. Last, but not least, numerous companies have already integrated AI tools into their products or their organizations to cut human-related costs. At the beginning of May, film and TV writers in the US started a nationwide industrial action asking for structural changes in studio operations and pay increases. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) called for regulations on AI usage, aiming to prevent its utilization in writing or rewriting literary material and as a source material and urged for the prohibition of using writers' work to train AI models. However, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) rejected these proposals, opting not to make immediate commitments regarding this matter. This stance has raised concerns as it sounds like a veiled attempt to reduce the number of human writers as quickly as possible. 

Currently, there is a notable disparity between the approaches taken by the European Union (EU) and the United States regarding AI legislation. While the EU is actively pursuing legislative measures, the US government announced initiatives aimed at harnessing the potential of AI. Significant investments of $140 million have been made in AI research institutes, and a blueprint for an AI bill of rights has been released. The US government is also soliciting public input on how best to regulate the use of AI. However, despite these efforts, specific regulatory guidelines have yet to materialize.

While discussions about the risks of AI and maintaining American leadership in the field persist in the US, the country is falling behind in terms of legislative and regulatory actions or it is seeking support from the same tech companies that are asking for help. This approach is not entirely unprecedented, as federal and local US governments have previously collaborated with major tech companies like Meta and Twitter to shape regulations. In 2020, Washington state passed the country's first bill regulating facial recognition. However, the legislation, authored by a state senator who also happened to be a Microsoft employee, faced criticism from civil rights groups for lacking crucial safeguards. Consequently, tech companies often end up with rules that afford them considerable leeway to create self-regulatory mechanisms that align with their business interests.

Maybe that’s what Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, expects from the EU as well: last month, Altman urged the members of US Congress to regulate AI. In a committee hearing Altman stated: "I think if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong." Yet, in mid-May, Altman suggested that OpenAI might consider exiting Europe if it couldn't comply with forthcoming AI regulations imposed by the EU, which he criticized as excessive. However, he later backtracked at the end of May, causing further confusion. In essence, Altman appears to advocate for regulations that align with his preferences.

Overall, the contrasting approaches of the EU and the US in AI regulation reflect their respective priorities, with the EU taking a more proactive stance and also highlighting issues such as discrimination.

In a recent interview with the BBC, Margrethe Vestager, the EU's Competition Commissioner, stated indeed that discrimination is a bigger threat posed by artificial Intelligence and a more pressing concern than the possible extinction of the human race. She emphasized the need for "guardrails" to be established for AI, particularly in situations where it could impact people's livelihoods, such as mortgage applications or access to social services. Indeed, if a bank uses AI to determine someone's eligibility for a mortgage or if social services within a municipality utilize AI, it is crucial to ensure that discrimination based on gender, race, or residential area does not occur.

Writing a legislation on AI is no easy task and it implies months of discussions, debates, reports and drafts. Even if the EU manages to achieve its ambitious goal of reaching an agreement on the law by the end of this year, its implementation is not expected until at least 2026. Which means the EU will have to seek an interim agreement with tech companies on a voluntary basis. However, there is another challenge ahead: by the time the law takes effect, certain norms may already be outdated, and, by then, AI may have caused significant harm due to its rapid advancement. Additionally, the legislation must be adaptable to keep pace with the progress of AI, and will have to implement regulations about scraping data and consider the impacts it may have on the labour market.

A recent report by McKinsey Global Institute states indeed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is projected to contribute up to $4.4 trillion in value to the global economy each year. The 68-page report further states that approximately 50% of all work will be automated between 2030 and 2060. The report highlights the potential of generative AI to reshape the anatomy of work by enhancing the abilities of individual workers through automation of certain tasks and activities.

The debate about AI legislation will therefore continue throughout the coming year all over the world, not just in the European Parliament (in the meantime, you can keep updated about the developments on the AI Act by subscribing to the EU newsletter about it here). 

Meanwhile, countries outside the EU should begin considering their own regulatory measures promptly. In the case of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has shown enthusiasm for the transformative potential of AI in public services, from reducing teachers' workload in lesson planning to facilitating quicker and more accurate diagnoses for NHS patients. However, his enthusiasm may be interpreted as cost-saving measures that could lead to job cuts. Moreover, before implementing such systems, proper training and careful consideration of the pros and cons are necessary. Indeed, after Brexit, the UK risks falling behind if it simply rides the wave of excitement without thorough assessment and implementation of appropriate legislation.

Quiet Master of the Lens: Paolo Di Paolo & The Art of Narrative Photography

Tennessee Williams, Giuseppe Ungaretti, and Mimmo Rotella; Sofia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Monica Vitti, and Michelangelo Antonioni; Anita Ekberg, Luchino Visconti, Alberto Moravia, and Claudia Cardinale. At first glance, these icons may appear disparate, but they share something in common - they were all immortalized through the lens of Paolo Di Paolo.

The Italian photographer, whose captured the essence of an era, died at the age of 98 on Monday, in his birthplace of Larino, in the central region of Molise.

Born in 1925, Di Paolo moved to Rome, where he thrived as a reportage photographer. He worked for weekly publication Il Mondo, where, for 14 years, he contributed nearly 600 evocative images depicting Italy and the rest of the world.

With his compact Leica III C camera Di Paolo shot flm stars, writers, artists, nobility, and ordinary people. His artistic pursuits extended beyond Il Mondo, encompassing collaborations with various media outlets and personal projects.

However, as times changed and society's fascination turned to the allure of gossip and scandal, Di Paolo bid farewell to photography to return to his philosophical studies and publishing, launching a collaboration with the Carabinieri and curating for them 20 books and 43 calendars.

With his black and white images, Di Paolo chronicled the post-war years - an era marked by Italy's emergence from the ashes of World War II. His early images captured the contrast between traditions and modernity, showcasing women in Campobasso draped in conservative attire, their heads adorned with scarves, juxtaposed to young women in Viareggio sporting shorts.

Di Paolo's lens ventured far beyond Italy's borders, as he did reportages from Japan, Iran, and New York. He documented historical events, such as the funeral of Palmiro Togliatti, and took timeless portraits of iconic artists, intellectuals, painters, poets, writers, and film stars. His subjects were immortalized in unconventional angles and poses, revealing their essence with unassuming authenticity.

From Brigitte Bardot to Gina Lollobrigida portrayed with artist Giorgio De Chirico, from director Federico Fellini to Oriana Fallaci, Di Paolo's lens transcended the boundaries between disciplines. He also shot fashion pictures with an arty twist, in collaboration with journalist Irene Brin at Harper's Bazaar.

In a memorable encounter, Anna Magnani invited him to her villa in San Felice Circeo, near Rome, in 1955. Within those intimate walls, Di Paolo captured a series of portraits that exposed a rare vulnerability with Magnani lying in the sun or relaxing with her son.

One of Di Paolo's most significant collaborations unfolded with Pier Paolo Pasolini. Di Paolo's lens immortalized Pasolini at the Monte dei Cocci in Rome, beside Gramsci's tomb in the Non-Catholic Cemetery, and at Pasolini's house, with the writer’s beloved mother.

The photographer also gained exclusive access to the set of Pasolini's "The Gospel According to Matthew".

Pasolini trusted Di Paolo because he wasn't a paparazzo: the two had met during an unexpected partnership in 1959 when Di Paolo and Pasolini embarked on an extraordinary project - a travelling reportage on Italian vacations entitled "La Lunga Strada di Sabbia" (The Long Road of Sand).

The reportage foreshadowed Italy's rebirth in the '60s - the "boom years" - anticipating the investigative yet light format of Pasolini's groundbreaking travelling documentary "Comizi d'amore."

Published across three issues of the magazine Successo, the reportage presented images suspended between a hedonistic present and a mythical past.

Images went from the unpretentious photographs of young men drying and combing their hair in Pozzuoli after a swim, to the trendy young women portrayed on the Forte dei Marmi beach in fashionable sarongs.

There is a poetical tenderness instead in the image of the family photographed staring at the sea on the Rimini beach for the first time. From their pose you can easily realise that, in front of the infinite shimmering sea, they are feeling a mix of contrasting emotions, of apprehension, fear and elation.  

This image reminds us that, amidst the stars, writers, and directors, Di Paolo's lens also sought beauty in ordinary, anonymous individuals engaged in the simplest of acts and captured poignant moments of everyday life, like the couple in front of Milan's Duomo feeding the pigeons and getting their picture taken by a photographer, a memento to show off with their friends if this was a rare trip to Milan or maybe an image to send back home if they had left their village in search of better economic or educational opportunities.

Yet, there was more behind Paolo Di Paolo's work and, while he imbued his photographs with a human touch, he often infused them with subtle humor and passion for architecture in a playful way.

Di Paolo's mastery transformed lights and shadows, turning urban elements into architectural geometries, immortalizing banal features like a pedestrian subway as a futuristic portal from a distant cosmos.

Between 1956 and 1962, he unveiled the soul of Milan, celebrating its iconic landmarks: he took a cinematic shot of the rooftop of the Duomo, reminiscent of the camera frames in Visconti's "Rocco and His Brothers", but also fun portraits like the one of Lilli Cerasoli and Edi Valdaneri with their faces framed by the elaborate decorative elements of the Duomo.

For Di Paolo, the pursuit went beyond the superficial allure of paparazzi-style snapshots: he aspired indeed to create a narrative within his images and each frame aimed at informing the viewers, to tell them a story and evoke an emotional response.

In recent years, Paolo Di Paolo's legacy was rediscovered, casting a well-deserved spotlight on his contribution to the realm of photography: in 2019, Rome's MAXXI museum unveiled a landmark exhibition titled "Mondo perduto" (Lost World), exclusively dedicated to Di Paolo's work. Sponsored by Gucci, the exhibition served as a visual chronicle, curated from a selection of 250 rarely seen images captured between 1954 and 1968. These evocative frames also inspired Alessandro Michele, former Creative Director at Gucci.

In 2020, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Valentino's creative director, invited Di Paolo to the brand's Haute Couture S/S 2020 show in Paris. The invitation celebrated Di Paolo's seminal reportage documenting Valentino's 1967 Haute Couture show in Capri.

The photographer was also the subject of a documentary directed by Bruce Weber, who discovered Di Paolo's work during a visit to Rome. Entitled "The Treasure of His Youth: the Photographs of Paolo Di Paolo," the documentary premiered at the 2021 Rome Film Festival. Besides, last month, on the occasion of his 98th birthday, Di Paolo received an honorary doctorate in art history from Rome's La Sapienza University.

Di Paolo is survived by his daughter Silvia who continues promoting his work through his archive. A testament to her father's enduring impact on the world of photography, the archive contains 250,000 negatives, contact sheets, prints, and slides, that were found in the cellar of Di Paolo's family house twenty years ago.

Despicable Him: Embarrassing Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (Finally) Dies

Between 2002 and 2003 I was writing my MLitt dissertation in journalism at Strathclyde University, in Glasgow, Scotland. It was entitled "Berluland: The influence of Silvio Berlusconi on Italian means of communication". I distinctively remember that it was particularly difficult to wrap up the final chapter. Actually, I hadn't hit a creative rut, but, on a daily basis, Mr Berlusconi, then Italian Prime Minister, came up with new comments or did something worth of being included in the dissertation and I had to change or readapt the conclusion.

I remember having to include at the last minute an interview for The Spectator with Boris Johnson (who probably learnt a few things from Berlusconi for his own clownish political career as UK Prime Minister...) and Nicholas Farrell in which Berlusconi declared from his villa in Sardinia "There is no conflict of interests (…) I am the most liberal publisher in history," and then proceeded to attack (as usual) the Italian magistrates investigating him.

So, when yesterday they announced Berlusconi had died at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan, I didn't feel just relieved, I wanted to party hard. That feeling wasn't triggered by the never-ending conclusion to my dissertation, but by the embarrassment Mr Berlusconi has caused to Italy, my home country, for over 20 years.

Born in 1936, in the outskirts of Milan, as a young man Berlusconi worked as entertainer on cruise boats. After finishing his studies, in 1961, Berlusconi embarked on his first venture in the construction industry, establishing Cantieri Riuniti Milanesi srl in partnership with Pietro Canali. 

From then on, the entrepreneur focused on real estate, also through a new company, Edilnord, founded with money that came from a mysterious financial company based in Switzerland.

Milano 2, a "new town" built for yuppies and nouveau riches in the outskirts of Milan, Segrate, was one of his most ambitious building projects. Again founded with mysterious sums of money from Switzerland, the project obtained the necessary permissions when the Segrate City Hall aligned itself with the Psi (Partito Socialista Italiano, Italian Socialist Party).

The area was completed in 1978, but, before that, in 1973, Berlusconi had already launched a TV channel, Telemilano. Devised as a supplementary service for the Milano 2 residents and broadcasting only in that area, it was used to support the election of two candidates of the Christian Democracy party (Dc), and one candidate of the Italian Socialist Party (Psi), Bettino Craxi, at the 1976 elections.

Then came a financial company (Fininvest), another residential area (Milano 3) and a shopping mall (Il Girasole). At the end of the '70s, journalists started hinting at the relationships between Berlusconi and mafia boss Vito Ciancimino, who had interests in investing money in the North of Italy, and between the entrepreneur and the Masonic Lodge P2 (Propaganda 2; in which Berlusconi enrolled in 1974). The lodge had a Piano di rinascita democratica (Plan for a democratic rebirth) that had as main principle the acquisition and control of the means of communication in Italy and the immediate "constitution of a TV channel via cable". Indeed, P2 wanted to create a network of private channels that could be "co-ordinated…to control the public opinion" and could destroy the monopoly of State broadcaster Rai.

In 1979, Fininvest founded various TV companies (Publitalia 80 srl, Rete Italia srl) and became the major shareholder of Il Giornale. It also launched Canale 5, another company that substituted Telemilano and bought American serials, films and other programmes. In 1982, the company acquired another channel, Italia 1, from Rusconi, adding in 1984, Retequattro, bought from Mondadori.

Helped by decrees issued by Bettino Craxi's government that protected Berlusconi's monopoly, and penalized Italian state broadcaster Rai, Berlusconi's channel’s thrived. In 1987 the channels also turned into means of propaganda for the new political elections, mainly supporting Craxi's party. In December 1989, Fininvest bought Mondadori: Berlusconi's media concentration ended up including private TV channels and the most important publishing house in Italy and was therefore the first of its kind in the Western world.

At the beginning of the '90s a scandal exploded in Italy: magistrates launched an inquiry later called Mani Pulite (Clean Hands) from the pool of investigative judges who later discovered the so-called Tangentopoli (Bribesville). Craxi received four notifications of investigation and resigned from the office of Psi secretary. Fininvest was also involved in the inquiries: the prosecutor's office in Milan found in a Swiss account 21 billion lire that, according to the magistrates were bribes given by Berlusconi to Bettino Craxi.

In April 1993 Craxi asked Berlusconi to start a new political party that could preserve the Dc and Psi tradition and could have contrasted the Communist Party. The new party should have also supported and helped Fininvest since, without any political support, there wasn't any future for the company.

Fininvest formed the Forza Italia party in 1993, though the party was officially born in 1994. In the same year the Mediaset group controlling Canale 5, Italia 1, and Retequattro, was created and became Italy's major private television and communications network. Berlusconi stood as candidate at the 1994 elections: Forza Italia ads literally invaded Finivest's channels. No other party could compete with Berlusconi, a "self-made man" who promised Italians there would have been wealth and jobs for everybody.

At the time, the Ds party (Democratici di sinistra, Left Wing Democrats) defined Berlusconi as an "anomaly": he was a politician and he owned the country's means of communication.

Berlusconi's party obtained the majority of votes and, in May 1994, the first Berlusconi government was formed: it was the first government with a Prime Minister who had an embarrassing conflict of interests. Berlusconi owned the one and only Italian private TV network, but, as head of the government, he also controlled the State TV and was the owner of one of the richest companies in Italy, that controlled newspapers, publishing houses, foreign channels, cinemas and movie distribution companies, building companies and a football team, AC Milan.

Berlusconi lost the 1996 election to the centre-left leader Romano Prodi; then he won them again in 2001, becoming the first Italian politician in 50 years to complete a full five-year mandate. His third term, that began in 2008, ended with his resignation in 2011 a year in which Berlusconism seemed to wane.

The decades in which Berlusconi was in power were among the most controversial in Italian politics: he "reformed" Italian State broadcaster Rai by putting his friends in power places and cancelled those programmes that annoyed him with investigations and jokes against him (satire was great in Italy in those years as Berlusconi ended up providing comedians with a constant flow of fresh material...). His channels, in the meantime, started a campaign to defame the magistrates who had accused Fininvest of being involved in the Tangentopoli scandal.

Throughout the years, Berlusconi was charged with embezzlement, false accounting and bribing a judge, but he always managed to avoid trials, often by changing the laws. Convicted of tax fraud in 2013, Berlusconi had to serve a four-year prison term, of which three were pardoned. The legal proceedings involving him would actually be worthy of a legal drama on one of today's popular streaming service.

Deemed unfit to govern the country by the foreign media (Berlusconi sued The Economist for an article published in 2001, claiming it was defamatory, but he lost the lawsuit in later years), Berlusconi led a career peppered with gaffes and politically incorrect behaviour.

Quite often he was an embarrassment at global meetings: in 2002, Berlusconi attended a summit in Caceres. In the official photo, he made the sign of the horns while posing behind the Spanish Foreign Minister, Josep Piqué. 

A year later he told German centre-left politician Martin Schulz, who criticized Berlusconi's conflict of inerests and his attacks on magistrates, that he would have recommended him for a role as a Nazi guard in a war film; then he called the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, an "unfuckable lard-arse", described US president Barack Obama in 2008 as "suntanned" and called his opponents "malodorous and badly dressed people".

But there's more: a master of the photo opportunity, Berlusconi used the ruins of L'Aquila's 2009 earthquake as a set for the G8 and showed total disregard of art when he requested to move the 6th century BC Capestrano Warrior to L'Aquila for the G8 to show it off. In that occasion, he also tried his hand at fashion, giving out as present to the other heads of state a Belstaff jacket signed by himself.

Among his most consistent achievements there are many sex and corruption scandals, and his "bunga bunga" sex parties at his luxurious villa outside Milan.

He was also accused of unlawful sex with 17-year old nightclub dancer Karima El Mahroug, an Italian-Moroccan woman, known as Ruby Rubacuori, who, he claimed, was the granddaughter of Egyptian President Mubarak.

In many different occasions Berlusconi showed sexist attitudes, even during official parades: during a meeting with EU leaders, he started sketching pictures of women's lingerie through different ages and then passed them around the table. His behaviour turned Italy into a laughingstock, an immorality play that extended for decades and that brought decadence to Italy.

For decades Berlusconi behaved as if he lived his life on the set of an Edwige Fenech movie. Feminists fumed every time he offended women in his jokes, but Berlusconi's entourage and supporters laughed and encouraged him instead.

In the shows on his channels women were always objects: usually wearing very little or a staple uniform of low-cut tops, mini-skirts and stilettos, women on Berlusconi's channels were reduced to silent veline, mute showgirls, posing and doing a little bit of dance, while the male presented spoke.

In some cases, though, there was a progression and, from showgirls, the luckiest ones became ministers - Mara Carfagna, a former velina and model, became indeed Minister for Equal Opportunities in one of Berlusconi's governments.

In the age of Berlusconi - a self-obsessed individual and a firm believer in hair transplants, with two best friends, his hair dye and full coverage foundation that he used in copius amounts - fashion was marked by a distinct shift towards garments that enhanced women's bodies, while simultaneously playing with their physical attributes. Revealing necklines, daring slits, and form-fitting silhouettes became prevalent during those years.

At a certain point even Anna Wintour wondered "how can Italy tolerate Silvio Berlusconi and his girls?" Vogue US's powerful editor, also rebuked Italians, stating: "I really can't understand how this can be possible: you can not even talk about democracy here, this is a dictatorship (…) it seems impossible to read the news about your Prime Minister and think that it is all real and that he still hasn't resigned, or that Italians aren't doing anything to force him to resign."

Unfortunately for Wintour, only a few years later, Americans elected Donald Trump as President. Both Trump and Berlusconi actually had a lot in common: they were both egocentric real-estate tycoons and billionaires; both were media stars prone to gaffes and lies, known for their politically incorrect behavior and misogynist vocabulary. Embroiled in sex scandals, both entertained a controversial relationship with the press, the judiciary and the tax authorities. Both of them relished presenting themselves as the genuine representatives of the people, fighting against a disconnected and morally bankrupt ruling class. Both had an obsession with their hair and with thick full coverage foundation of the sort thanatos-beauticians use on corpses. 

Yet there is a difference: Trump is an amateur compared to Berlusconi as he may actually get arrested; Berlusconi dodged it all, constantly bouncing back on the political scene and changing the laws in his favour, either to advance his businesses, protect his empire and avoid prison. This allowed him to return in power last year after joining a far-right coalition with Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy and Salvini's Lega.

A zombie who would still rise to perform his comedic routine, he also tried to colonise TikTok, an app mainly used by kids blessed by the luck of having been born many years after Berlusconi's arrival on the political scene.

Obviously, Berlusconi continued to be embarrassing: as per tradition, in December 2022 he told the players of AC Monza (the football team he acquired after selling AC Milan - designer Philipp Plein, notorious for his hyper sexualised image of women and his bad taste, provided the team's off the pitch uniforms), that if they had won a match, he would have rewarded them with a "pullman di troie" (literally "a coach of sluts"). Besides, while the war in Ukraine is continuing, he boasted about his close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, was to blame for his country's devastation.

Italy is reaping what Berlusconi has sowed for 20 years: ignorance, discord, mediocre TV programmes in which people quarrel and shout at each other, and Giorgia Meloni. A previous member of the right-wing party Alleanza Nazionale (National Alliance) that then merged with Forza Italia, Meloni, a right-wing populist and nationalist with far-right views, is Italy's first female Prime Minister. She also happens to have a complete disregard of women, but we will save this for another time.

Yesterday, when they announced that Berlusconi had died, Meloni stated that Berlusconi taught Italy that it should never have limits imposed onto it. Not having lived with the stigma of being an Italian abroad during Berlusconi's governments, Meloni can't imagine that he also taught millions of Italians living abroad to be embarrassed about their country and their nationality (for years, I travelled with a T-shirt in my case stating in four European languages "I didn't vote for Berlusconi").

Many Italians are still in love with Berlusconi, they still harbour this romantic vision of the "self-made" man with the fame of being a Casanova. There are people crying on his channels as I'm writing this post (well, probably because, after him, his empire will go through some changes once it will be broken up and assigned to his many heirs) and condolences are pouring in.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president wanted for war crimes in Ukraine, released a heartfelt message for his friend Silvio. That a war criminal compliments him should get us all ashamed, but in this topsy-turvy world such a tribute seems to be normal and it is even appreciated.

Berlusconi will also be honoured tomorrow with a state funeral at Milan's Duomo and a day of national mourning (not in my name).

At the end of his long life and career, the most worrying thing about Berlusconi remains his disturbing, controversial and disgusting legacy. Just as you can find Mussolini memorabilia on vintage market stalls and, sadly, fascists still exist, it will be the same with Berlusconi. The memorabilia - including the magazine about his life that he printed in million of copies and sent to Italians before the elections - the nostalgia, the misogynist language he used, and the perception that being rich and powerful puts you above justice and ethics, will stay.

Amidst all these people crying for him and sending condolences, the only honest tribute came from Escort Advisor, a site featuring reviews of escorts: the Italian version of the site features at the moment a somber black background to align with the general mourning mood in Italy and the words "Ciao Silvio".

In a press release, the site explained why they opted for this homage, highlighting it wasn't "for political sympathy", but for the "contribution" he made to the semantics of the paid sex industry in Italy. "If today the word 'escort' has entered the collective vocabulary to indicate professionals who receive clients in apartments, it is also thanks to the normalization that has taken place in recent years, stemming from the trials involving Silvio Berlusconi," the site explained. "The extensive media coverage of Berlusconi's trials, led Italians to search for the word 'escort' on Google without reservations (…) A tribute, therefore, to a man who publicly contributed, in his own way, to normalize an industry that remains controversial to this day." Well, at least the site was honest and willing to mention this aspect of Berlusconi's life.

The fact that in Italy violence against women and femicides are not decreasing doesn't directly depend from Berlusconi's attitude towards women, but it is a consequence of that attitude that men have learnt to appreciate and admire throughout the decades of his political tenure. For Berlusconi women were just objects defined and classified by his derogatory language, bodies on which he was free to let his lecherous gaze travel.

As Berlusconi's life finally comes to an end, the tycoon turned politician can finally put to good use the grand mausoleum built by Pietro Cascella in his villa in Arcore: even to build it Berlusconi changed the laws: initially deemed illegal due to its proximity to residential areas, miraculously gained legal status through a modification to a two-century-old law enacted by his own government in 2003. Well, at least we can be sure he won't resurrect three days later, as years ago he announced he would do in a joke in which he obviously compared himself to Jesus.

If after this life there is an Inferno like the one described by Dante's, I hope they have added a new Circle for him: may he rot in the deepest corner of Hell, because that's where he deserves to be.

Dynamic Shapeshifters: Zanotta's Galeotta Armchair & Sciangai Clothes-Stand

In yesterday's post we looked at identity, transformations and architecture. Let's continue these threads, moving onto interior design, and looking at two pieces of furniture that explore the theme of transformation.

The first piece is the convertible Galeotta armchair designed in 1968 by Jonathan De Pas, Donato D'Urbino, and Paolo Lomazzi.

Made entirely of differentiated polyurethane foam, the armchair boldly defies traditional design norms since it has no supporting frame or internal mechanisms. The armchair consists indeed of three irregularly shaped flip-up blocks that allow for three different configurations: the blocks can be extended into a chaise longue and a daybed or they can be used to create a seated or semi-reclined configuration with two different inclinations of the backrest module.

The removable fabric covering also serves as a hinge during transformation, keeping the three seating elements together and allowing for folding movement.

In the history of design, the armchair represented an innovative and groundbreaking project that contributed to a profound change in the ways of living, as it deconstructed and revolutionized the concept of the traditional armchair to introduce different ways of sitting at home. This informal, transformable and dynamic armchair embodied indeed the principle of functional design. The second piece is the folding and adjustable clothes-stand Sciangai, again designed in 1973 by De Pas, D'Urbino, and Lomazzi.

This foldable stand, characterized by a very simple yet user-friendly operating mechanism, draws inspiration from the Mikado pick-up sticks game and it's a vibrant explosion of joyful colours.

In Sciangai, each element serves as a support on the floor and, at the same time, as a holder for coats and hats at its upper end. The eight solid multi-coloured lacquered beech wood sticks that compose it are connected by a joint just above the center and, when opened, create an adjustable circumference according to personal preference and available space, resulting in a coat stand that can be expanded or reduced. Zanotta recently reissued these two pieces that stand as testaments to the power of transformative design merging creativity and practicality.

The new Sciangai 50, reissued in celebration of the 50th anniversary of this piece, is a faithful realization of the original sketch found in the studio of De Pas, D'Urbino, and Lomazzi, by Fabio Calvi and Paolo Brambilla, the new Zanotta Art Directors. 

You Shall Go to the Ball: The French Pavilion @ The 18th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia

Upon entering the French Pavilion at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice (until 26th November), you are confronted by a curved silver wall.

Is this some kind of lunar module, you wonder, or maybe some kind of futuristic dome à la Buckminster Fuller? Yet, as you turn around the corner, a revelation unfolds - the structure before you is not a dome or a complete sphere reminiscent maybe of Daniele Barbaro's geometric model of the sphere in perspective from his famous 1568 Renaissance treatise (View this photo), but a half-sphere covered in shimmering silver aluminum.

The interior is hollow and reveals a steel structure, tiered plywood seating, a silvered fabric curtain and a stage with a microphone. Above the whole structure hangs a triangular beam supporting a few projectors.

The lower part of the stage can be configured in different ways, with a low, circular, movable podium where the public can sit and have access to the middle of the stage. Welcome to the "Ball Theater" project.

Designed by architecture firm Muoto (Gilles Delalex and Yves Moreau), in partnership with Georgi Stanishev and Clémence La Sagna for the scenography, and associate curator Jos Auzende, the project presents a distinctive, original and inclusive approach to address the inquiries and difficulties posed by this year's Biennale.

A pavilion within the pavilion, the Ball Theater reflects the Biennale 2023 theme – "The Laboratory of the Future" – set by Lesley Lokko.

The theater inherently functions as a laboratory, exploring identities, spaces, and imaginative realms. It serves as a mechanism that empowers individuals to envision alternative realities and project themselves into different places and future possibilities.

Symbolizing the world with its meridians and parallels, the Ball Theater transcends its static nature and turns into a vibrant space for the dance and music performances and enlightening talks included in the engaging program curated by Anna Tardivel.

Rather than a mere structure to be admired, the Ball Theater emerges therefore as a dynamic entity, a place of meditation and a laboratory of ideas inviting visitors to take part in a multi-disciplinary experience.

This open space is also a reaction to the isolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic: the virus pushed us all to withdraw into ourselves, but the architects and curators behind the project decided instead to give a festive and joyous twist to this year's proposal, inspiring visitors to get together in this immersive and experimental space.

Besides, the half-sphere structure could be interpreted as a mirror ball - kitsch, shiny and glamourous, hinting at discos and parties. You may therefore argue that the structure has a sort of duality about it: it is a sophisticated and elegant architectural construction, but it is also a club where fun events can take place.

Within the Ball Theater, dreams and aspirations materialize, while in the adjacent rooms of the pavilion there are other installations to explore.

Reclaimed metal structures with speakers emit repetitive sounds, voices, whispers, and echoes, acting as acoustic pathways for the visitors, and creating an immersive and abstract non-verbal ur-language.

Shaped by an Artificial Intelligence system, the sonic landscape, was created by the pavilion sound team, including electronic music composer Pilooski (Cédric Marszewski) and sound engineers Alain Français and Thomas Fourny.

Once a month for a week throughout the duration of the Biennale, the Ball Theater will turn into an animated arena of celebration, experiment, and discussion thanks to presentations by researchers, students, artists, and thinkers.

For the opening days in May, the Ball Theater was activated by an energetic event with representatives from the French ballroom scene including French voguing legend Vinii Revlon, founder of the House of Revlon, Mariana Benenge, choreographer and waacking dancer, and Missy NRC, Hip-Hop New Style dancer.

While they encouraged the public to follow in the dancers' footsteps and discussed the dual values of celebration and political protest in the ballroom scene, drag queens Tata Foxie and La Deliche, introduced themes such as cross-dressing, transformism and the passage from clandestinity to inclusive emancipation.

This event was also a way to go back in time and make a comparison between the balls in Harlem during the 1920s and 1930s, spaces of resistance, dance, and celebration for African-American and Latino LGBTQ+ communities, the balls of the 1970s and modern ones, spaces of emancipation, where individuals are liberated to express their true identities.

For this occasion, the metal structures in the adjacent rooms were used as hangers for evening dresses and wigs.

A large table was also set up in one of the rooms, displaying a collection of items - makeup, accessories, wigs, and shoes.

These artifacts beckoned visitors to embark on a contemplative journey, reflect upon the intricate process of constructing an identity and consider the profound impact of altering gender roles.

The transformative power encapsulated within each of these objects sparked a journey of self-discovery for the visitors, challenging societal norms and encouraging them to embrace the boundless possibilities of personal reinvention inside and outside the Ball Theater.

During the inaugural session of debates and events, the Ball Theater intertwined therefore two captivating realms of human imagination - utopia and the vibrant essence of a party.

But there will be more to discover in the next few months, with dance and singing performances, a radio and a costume workshop of architectural, mechanized and sci-fi costumes (this particular workshop will take place in November, right before the end of the Biennale, but you can check the complete program here).

During the months of the Biennale, the Institut Français, organizer of the French pavilion, will also expand the Ball Theater project launching events connected to it in other countries.

Last but not least, the Ball Theater stands not only as a visually captivating architectural structure but also as a testament to sustainability. The wood and steel half-sphere, boasts a lightweight and modular design and the structure, produced locally, breaks down into small parts (21 meridians and 13 parallels for a total of 300 bolted segments) that are easily assembled and disassembled.

Besides, all the objects inside the theater and the three adjacent rooms are bric-a-brac found in Italy and restored in situ.

Embodying the goals of the Paris Agreement, the collapsible structure of the Ball Theater can therefore be easily transported to new destinations.

This mobility grants the theater the flexibility to bring its captivating performances, engaging discussions, and immersive experiences to other countries and communities, creating a nurturing space where imagination can flourish.

Image credits for this post

1. Ball Theater © Spassky Fischer courtesy of the French Pavilion

2-10. and 18-25. Photographs by Anna Battista

11-17. Photographs © Jacopo La Forgia, courtesy of the French Pavilion