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The Happenstance was Scotland’s contribution to the 16th International Architecture Exhibition, Venice, 2018

THE HAPPENSTANCE. 05. 05

In this dispatch, designer and local Venetian,

Alberto Lago, who played a key role in the project,

talks about how the memory of The Happenstance

is still alive in the mind of the Venetian people. It

has brought to the island a spirit of freedom, and

community engagement that Venice is losing due

to the high touristic densification. The legacy of

The Happenstance raised awareness that public

space for all is needed in a city that is not free

anymore. He also lays out what the legacy of The

Happenstance has meant to himself.

VENICE / LOCAL CONTEXT

This publication is one in a series of twelve reflections on The Happenstance. Click here or go to ads.org.uk/the-happenstance-archive-dispatches to access the other publications.

Issue 1l An Introductionl

Issue 5l Venice /

Local Contextl

Issue 9l Participatory Practicel

Issue 10l A Conversation,|

A Workshop| and Afterwardsl

Issue 12l On Legacyl

Issue 11l An External|

Perspectivel

Issue 6l Playl

Issue 7l Tools of the Tradel

Issue 3l Into the Mouth|

of the Wolfl

Issue 2| Venice Reflective|

Issue 4l My Experience|

as a Fellow at| The Happenstancel

Issue 8 One A-Z of

Making Connections

THE HAPPENSTANCE. 05. 05

‘the most important legacy is the awareness on the needs of a public space for all’

VENICE / LOCAL CONTEXT

‘The Happenstance is still alive around the city - a spirit of freedom and community engagement - a public agora, a place that was given to Venetians for daily use’

La serata d’inaugurazione del Festival delle Arti si

apre con un concerto di musica latinoamericana

durante il quale suonera’ il Duo Yerba Mate

formato da Janet Garcia Morago e Stefano

Gavagnin. A seguire ci sara’ l’introduzione di un

video facente parte della mostra itinerante

“Huellas de la Memoria” organizzata da Alfredo

Lopez e curata da Ana Enamorado incentrata sui

desaparecidos messicani e centroamericani, e la

proiezione del film “Nunca Mas Hermanos” con il

successivo dibattito.

The opening night of the Arts Festival opens

with a Latin American music concert during

which the Yerba Mate duet formed by Janet

Garcìa Morago and Stefano Gavagnin, will play.

Following will be the introduction of a video part

of the traveling exhibition "Huellas de la

Memoria" organized by Alfredo Lopez and

curated by Ana Enamorado focused on the

Mexican and latinamerican desaparecidos, and

the screening of the film "Nunca Mas Hermanos"

with the subsequent debate.

Per un Film si Muore, 15 Giugno 2018 ore 19For a Movie you can die, 15 June 2018 h.19

Nuova Cinema Libero in memoria di Pietro Bortulizzi

New Free Cinema in memory of Pietro Bortulizzi

The HAPPENSTANCE is

Scotland’s Project for the Biennale

The HAPPENSTANCE e’ un

progetto Scozzese per la Biennale

Palazzo Ca’ Zenobio, Collegio Armeno

Moorat Raphael,

Dorsoduro 2596,

Venezia 30123

ads.org.uk/scotlandvenice2018

thehappenstance.org #happenstance18 | @happenstance18Po

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Venice / Local ContextAlberto Lago

The Happenstance is still alive around the city. I can hear voices all over the island remembering its presence: “Happenstance was the only Biennale event that was not a real Biennale event.” This is one of the typical comments that I still hear in the streets. This means it was connected with Venetians fully, rather than most of the projects that try to connect with the local people just for publicity and the seeking of a means to fulfill ephemeral needs.

One of the most significant impacts that The Happenstance had on Venice was the possibility that foreign people (called foresti) could bring to the island a spirit of freedom and community engagement that Venice is losing due to the high

touristic densification. Indeed, every day in Venice we can see the opening of new shops just for the tourist and not for locals (ice cream, pasta, candy shops etc.). Moreover, most of the houses are refurbished for tourists and not for new inhabitants. The Happenstance was a public agora, a place that was given to Venetians for daily use, not as an open-air museum like Venice has become, but for people that live the city every day.

Another recurrent anecdote is when in the city I walk on the streets of Venice, “Calli”, with friends that are part of Poveglia per Tutti* (one of the best and most active supporters of The Happenstance), I still get introduced to people that I do not know as: “This is Alberto, he was

VENICE / LOCAL CONTEXT

THE HAPPENSTANCE. 05. 05

one of the active people behind the Scottish Biennale exhibition of last year, do you remember it?” Most people’s reaction is “Yes, it was the garden of freespace in Zenobio, with outdoor projections, deckchairs, games, and a kids playground.” So, the memory of The Happenstance is still alive in people’s minds. One of the best influences it had on people was the number of connections that the Zenobio garden activated, for me personally, and for a lot of other people that I met.

Again, I saw an old friend, who asked me: “Are you still working at the outdoor projection?” The outdoor screening was one of the most well received activities of the project. It gave the Venetians the feeling that the city is still alive and rich in spirit.

The projector, mixer and speakers have been donated by The Happenstance and freely go around the city of Venice between events, sagras, outdoor cinemas screenings and many more activities. Thanks to the help of the friends of Poveglia, who are managing the equipment, it is kept available for the whole Venetian community.

The most important legacy left by The Happenstance in the city is the awareness of the need for public space for all - where people can stay, play, interact, relax and just enjoy the freedom of a city that is not free anymore.

*Poveglia per Tutti is an association whose aim is to reclaim Poveglia, one of the many islands scattered across the Venetian lagoon,and make it a public place for the Venetian community to enjoy rather than yet another tourist resort.

STRUCTURE

RESOURCES→ Alberto Lago→ Alberto Lago→ Northland Creative→ Related Films

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How the memory of The Happenstance is still alive today in the minds of the Venetian people and and what its legacy means locally.

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