Buongiorno Venezia

I quote from the current issue of BUONGIORNO VENEZIA….

There is a new webcam in Venice: the view over the Calatrava bridge. Under the magnifying lens of architects from all over the world who have been visiting the Biennale Architettura, the fourth bridge across the Grand Canal, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, is still in the news… with some instructions for use.

The bridge required six years of work instead of, as originally planned, a little more than one, and it cost twelve and a half million euros instead of four (plus eleven million more in additional expenses which are at the centre of various legal arguments). Those expenditures, however, pale beside yearly maintenance expenses of forty million euros. At the moment, none of the bridge’s accessibility devices for the disabled are working… to be continued.

let me re-open a thread posted by venice lover:
“Why cannot the police round up those counterfeit bag-sellers and send them packing? I was in Venice last week, anfd thought that the bags now do not appear to have the “designer” names on them, but something that looks like or sounds like the famous name. I think I saw “Grada” instead of “Prada”, for instance. But, at least with the bags, the customers do get something for their money, and most people, I think, know they are buying a fake, though that doesn’t make it less of a crime. No, I think that the worst con-trick is the worked by the people who sell the “dancing” Mickey Mouse and other Disney character figures (no doubt with no copyright payments to Disney). I know that the people buying them must be stupid to believe in magic, and I believe that they are sold for only about 5 euros, which isn’t really a lot, but they too should be rounded up and shipped out of Venice.”

well, as a matter of fact people are not buying not-counterfeit bags as much as the fake ones!! so never assume good faith. instead, i can understand the thrill in the dancing mickey mouse: people know it’s going to be a 99 percent trap, but people buy it all the same because they feel part of a little miracle, as venice is so special. so in my opinion they buy a special memory, the souvenir of themself feeling as innocent and happy as a child. and at home, they’ll laugh at themselves
or am i wrong?

… or the underwear??

the Calatrava bridge

this week’s newsletter talks of:

• Mutual exclusivity — more hotels and fewer tourists?
• April Fool’s Day — the best date for joking about money
• The 20-point handicap — each unforgivable

and, last but not least

• The Calatrava Bridge’s private views

hi, my dears. i know you miss me. and i miss you. the reason why i am not updating the blog so often is that what’s happening here is too complicated for my poor english to explain and for human comprehension (let’s say my comprehension). but i’ll try to — as we say in italian, i’ll do it “a grande richiesta” (on popular demand).
well, i’ll try to explain with an example first, and keep in mind this is only ONE episode of a long series.
suppose you own a bar in venice (this is not my case). suppose you want to have a dehors, put some tables outside where your clients can relax, in some gorgeous campiello or along a canal. can i do that? you ask yourself anxiously. most times the answer is: yes, you pay. you can do anything in venice, if you pay. so you ask the comune the permission to use the public ground to place your tables for your clients. and you pay.
weeks later, the permit arrives, you place your tables, your tableclothes, your chairs. your clients sit down and enjoy springtime in venice.
summertime arrives, and it’s so hot. damn… you need to place a big umbrella, or a curtain! you buy the umbrella, you place the curtain over your entrance door. over? no. “you pay”. but you have already paid! you THINK so. you paid for the ground. didn’t pay for the AIR. so you ask to use the… air, and wait long time for permission. it’s the empire of Bureaucracy.
you may think i’m kidding. i’m not. this system has been nicknamed la tassa sull’ombra dell’ombra (ombra meaning in venetian both shadow and glass of wine: that is, you pay twice for the “shadow”). not finished: how is this tax really called? it’s not the occupancy of public ground, it ’s the occupancy of public “air space”. you feel like an invader, technically you are an enemy who pays even the breathed air.
not finished. technically, you feel so stupid. but you hope to make such a big money squeezing your tourists, that you bear all this.
now, suppose you organize art events and need to advertise your event (something which is closer to me). suppose you wish to place an artwork in front of the venue: it’s not an advertisement, it’s an artwork. and it’s beautiful. you plan not to disturb people in their walks, so you plan to place in a grass spot in front of the venue, hanged to a dry tree, which has to be replaced shortly. the company which manages the tree care allows you to do so, but this is not enough for the municipality: they want your “bucks”. so “please declare the size of your piece of whatever it is, and pay your advertising tax and ground occupancy tax”. Ground? it’s going to be hung on a tree. “Well, so it’s occupazione di spazio aereo”. oh, like curtains… uhm, to be true… it’s not really advertising, it’s… art. “ART?” yes. “it’s forbidden”. are you kidding? “art installations in the open are forbidden in venice, apart from special occasions”. special what? “well… we do not know how much to charge you pay for something which is not advertising”. have i to replace it with a piece of advertising? “the tree may suffer”. suffer from what, we won’t do any harm to it, and anyway it’s a just a canvas without the frame, hung carefully on a dead tree. “it’s you saying it’s dead”. it’s not me saying it’s dead. “have someone write it down”. have someone what? “write it down”. why? “because we do not take any responsibility”. about what? “the tree”. it’s going to be replaced. “by whom?” by you. “why?” because it’s dead. “what if the tree dies?” it IS dead. it may recover, with a piece of art on it. “you say that”. what, that it’s dead or that it’ll recover? “both”. it’s dead, and it’s also ugly. “have it…………………

It’s not a movie. It’s real life.

The titbit of the week is about the first results of the inspection of the works related to the fourth bridge on the Grand Canal. A name for its baptism, that has been postponed sine die so many times, should be the incapables’ bridge. Frankly this appellative, that according to the tradition has to follow the name of the designer, is not as evocative as other bridges’, but that is cruel reality: an endless yard on which citizens have to spend a fortune. With a very Italian word that unfortunately lacks in grace, a true “casino” in which technical, civil, penal and, last but not least, moral responsibilities are involved.
The verification is a sort of triumph for the angry citizens, though they are aware of being the ones and only to pay the price for it with their taxes. This ugly and useless bridge – all began with a draft on a restaurant napkin that rapidly turned into a madness story - is a great shame that, evidently, involve also the people who have neither stopped it nor borne all the well-founded criticisms.

this week’s issue of Buongiorno Venezia talks of:

• Calatrava: the hopeless bridge. Supervisory authority has recently published its observations on it.
• Twenty-two Academy nominations for movies screened at the 2007 Venice Film Festival.
• Dads’ attack

If you wish to comment in public, please post your comments here below, or to the related posts here above

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for some unclear reason (restorations? lack of personnel?), the Venice Hospital will not guarantee the usual services to pregnant women, for instance it will not allow the dads to assist to the birth. Many families are protesting, and are inviting people to sign a petition; here is the link to the petition “Nascere a Venezia” (To be born in Venice). May you wish to contribute, click on the “Firma” button” (Sign). The required data to type in are: name and last name, email address (won’t be published), check the box resident “in venice” or “in the mainland”; and then you have to check the boxes to authorize the website to treat your data for statistical purposes. Your browser needs to be java-script enabled. 410 signed up till now

i can’t believe it.. i just turn my head and there’s more then 1500 comments to moderate… most rubbish. thanks for the rest.

my dear, this blog has not closed. you may wonder where i’ve been recently. working. and getting angry. mostly getting angry. standing in line in public offices to get permissions for my own office. losing time. calling electricians, joiners, and blacksmiths who never showed up or showed up at their convenience. blacksmiths are on my blacklist, i called 4 of them and no one came. because it’s Christmas time, they say. well, i hope Santa is not bringing to them an inch of anything.

i often receive inquiries about “what to do in venice, how to make my living in venice”. are you an artist? what, a sculptor? please be more practical. start building up doors and windows, buy a boat and hire it to transport bricks and concrete, bread and vegetables, people, tables and chairs. you’ll soon be more powerful than a Lord. and it doesn’t need much brain.  

well, it’s Christmas after all.  i’m supposed to say something nice, be good and be in peace with the whole world. I am. I’m here, alive and happy, with my projects done, in spite of this idiot city. Buongiorno Venezia, wake up.

Merry Christmas

Rosalba

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aEwvYQcbVR_k&refer=us

Peter Gabriel’s charity concert (in support of the non-profit, independent, non-partisan association Emergency) took place last Friday in St. Mark’s Square. Earlier, on 5 July, Italian artist Franco Battiato had also performed to benefit Emergency. Read Gabriel’s tour diary about th e Venice concert at http://www.petergabriel.com/live/tourdiary/
Unfortunately, Venetians never miss a chance to show the world how shameless they are. During Gabriel’s and Battiato’s concerts, whose profits will be used to build hospitals for war victims, the cafes in St. Mark’s Square seized the opportunity to charge an average of 30 euros for a drink (including the show… and “what a show”), obviously saving on cost of their own performers yet without making a contribution of their own to Emergency. Mr. Gabriel and Mr. Battiato will be glad to know that they also contributed to such “needy” people’s wellbeing.

Tourism costs the city of Venice 20-25 million euro per year. So the mayor has asked for government permission to re-introduce the tax on accommodations. It’s an old battle which, until now, has been won by the hoteliers. Mayor Cacciari is betting on professional marketing and management for the most traditional events, so that money is obtained… professionally (”We are not begging for money”). Even the upcoming Redeemer’s Feast will have an artistic director. The celebration will last for several days and conclude on the evening of Saturday, 14 July. The traditional and noisy fireworks will be replaced by a light and music show presented to admiring spectators who will watch from onboard well-coordinated boats in the basin. Apparently, it will be vastly different than the traditional feast, which has consisted of a colourful hodge podge of activities.