The first megaliths appeared in Bologna ’s Piazza Maggiore in recent days, immediately attracting the attention of citizens and visitors alike. The large inflatable structures, up to 14 meters high, began to occupy the Crescentone anticipating the official arrival of IWAGUMI - Dismisura, the installation by Australian studio ENESS that will transform Bologna’s main public space from December 21 to 26. The intervention, promoted by Bologna Festival and sponsored by Illumia, is presented as a gift to the city for the holiday season. The rocks, made of inflatable fabric, will total 19 and vary in height from 2 to 14 meters. Their presence, deliberately out of scale with respect to the urban context, has already generated numerous reactions on social networks, where images of the first installed elements have begun to circulate rapidly.
The impact is marked: monumental and artificial forms are placed in the center of the square, creating a clear contrast with the historical architecture that surrounds them. The project takes its name from “Iwagumi,” a Japanese term for a composition of harmoniously arranged rocks within a natural landscape. Transposed to Piazza Maggiore, the concept is then reinterpreted through a set of enlarged and illusory elements that build an outsized stone garden. The dialogue established between ancient and contemporary, between natural and artificial, is one of the central aspects of the installation. The subtitle Dismisura, however, introduces a further reflection. The term comes from a thought by poet Davide Rondoni and alludes to the perception of disproportion between human beings and the reality around them, to the feeling of feeling both small and out of proportion. The work is therefore proposed as a stimulus to observe urban space from a different perspective, stirring the imagination and temporarily changing the usual perception of the square.
IWAGUMI - Dismisura represents the first European presentation of IWAGUMI AIR SCAPE, a project by studio ENESS, already hosted in international contexts such as Singapore, Melbourne and Dharhan, Saudi Arabia. The Bologna version was therefore conceived as a site-specific intervention, designed with the architectural and symbolic characteristics of Piazza Maggiore in mind. The installation is conceived as an interactive artistic experience. The presence of the public constitutes an active element of the work: by approaching the rocks, visitors activate soundscapes inspired by nature, constructed through melodies and environmental sounds. Indeed, the experience changes as the hours pass. As the sun goes down, the structures light up, vary in color and react to the movement of people, creating an ever-changing situation. The first official lighting of the work is scheduled for Sunday, December 21, at 6 p.m. The event will be accompanied by a musical moment with the participation of soprano Iolanda Massimo, joined on piano by Paolo Andreoli. The sound intervention will mark the start of the installation, which will remain visible until Dec. 26, fitting into the city’s calendar of Christmas initiatives.
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| 14-meter inflatable megaliths invade Piazza Maggiore: IWAGUMI transforms Bologna |
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