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Now that's Italian! >>The CCA offers a quick fix of the old country
by KEITH MARCHAND Photo by Ugo Mulas
In a program called The Italian Season, the Canadian Centre for Architecture brings the old country to Montreal. The large-scale series comprises shows and films at the CCA itself and an exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts. Carlo Scarpa, Architect: Intervening With History is the hub of activity. It's North America's first comprehensive exhibition of the life and work of Italy's best-known modern architect. Scarpa, who was born and raised in the Veneto region of Italy, developed an architectural style that countered Europe's dominant schools of design. He possessed a keen sense for the dramatic potential of architecture, never straying too far from the vocabulary of his home town of Venice. This was during a period in which personal expression and "dishonesty" in design were severely frowned upon by the majority of practicing architects and pundits. Though the minimalist, streamlined aesthetic of the machine-age was the norm, Scarpa never went along for the ride. He was also one of the first architects to develop a carefully thought-out methodology to incorporate new structures into the fabric of a city's historical buildings. Working within Italy's many layers of history, he built onto existing structures without doing easy, literal reconstructions or leaving too much of his own mark on the site. While Scarpa remains a controversial figure to this day, his work demonstrates a sensitivity to a building's history, location and scale--something often disregarded by designers and urban planners. The exhibition comprises three basic elements: 150 of Scarpa's own drawings; four elaborate and carefully made models of the architect's defining works; and a selection of photographs commissioned for the show from acclaimed photographer Guido Guidi. Also on display is a photography exhibit celebrating the 70th birthday of the founding director and chair of the CCA, Phyllis Lambert. Called 32 Italian Photographers: A Tribute to Phyllis Lambert, it's an overview of contemporary Italian photography. Each contributor was asked to submit their own interpretation of the state of Italian architecture; the results demonstrate why Italy is gaining some renown for its current photography scene. The Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts hosts Carlo Scarpa in Murano: Art Glass by an Architect, featuring 50 works by the architect taken from his studies in glass design. The works highlight his capacity to weave design, craft and architecture. It is also interesting to see the influences on Scarpa's art production--Picasso, Matisse and Klee--that helped to shape his style of pure forms and Mediterranean colours. Rounding out the activities for The Italian Season, the CCA presents five evenings of films involving the architecture of Venice. The line-up for Thursday evenings includes Visconti's Death in Venice and Nicholas Roeg's Don't Look Now.
Carlo Scarpa, Architect, to October 31; 32 Italian Photographers, to September 26; Thursday evening film series to June 17 at the Canadian Centre for Architecture; Carlo Scarpa in Murano, to October 3 at the Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts |
Is your idea of Italian architecture the theme-park/New York slum façade of East-Side Mario's? Do you think the term Venetian applies only to the blinds you bought at Le Père du Meuble? If this is the case, this summer will be your chance to brush up on Italy's important contributions to architecture and design.