A Light Art installation thought for the city of Bergamo and co-created with its citizens
This work is set in the context of Light Art for urban spaces, in particular within the city of Bergamo, where I was born and for which I have a special affection. The project was born within the course “Luce e colore tra Arte e Design” (AA. 2020-2021), held at the Politecnico di
Milan, Faculty of Design, by Prof. Gisella Gellini. This was quite an unusual area of design for me, as it fell into the realm of art rather than product design. It was an individual project.
THE CONTEXT: COVID-19 OUTBREAKS IN BERGAMO, MARCH 2020
The year 2020 saw Bergamo sadly stand out for the high number of Covid-19 cases and resulting deaths, with March and April at the peak of this incredible escalation of contagions. Faced with such a tough period, the people of Bergamo reacted with great strength and courage, with the resilience and drive that proverbially characterise them.
And what reaches our hearts more powerfully than art?
SOCIAL ART: ELABORATE, REMEMBER, SHARE
This project aims to give voice to the citizens of Bergamo in order to leave a visible sign of what the months of the lockdown were like for the city through a light art installation. The pandemic reached the urban fabric in a widespread manner and we all have a story to tell, a memory, an image, fragments of life lived in those harsh days of March 2020. For this reason, I wanted to imagine an artistic intervention spread throughout the whole city, which could reach the urban network in an extensive manner.
“SAY IT WITH LIGHT”
The light installation is designed to express effectively and concisely what the lockdown experience meant to the local community, through the use of the written word. Specifically, I envisaged writings projected on walls or floors in different local districts at strategic points. The content of each inscription was suggested directly by citizens through their testimonies. It is therefore an artistic intervention that gives voice and form to people’s feelings, through a work designed with them and for them. The final effect is that of a city that is literally ‘wallpapered’ with luminous words. The writings integrate discreetly into the urban space.
WHY WRITTEN WORDS?
Among the many expressive modalities, it was decided to choose the projection of light writings for several reasons. First, it is a meaningful analogy: just as in March 2020, signs of hope have invaded the streets by appearing on various balconies (“Everything will be fine”, “Mola mia!”), in the same way the aim is to give citizens a voice through words of lights. Second, the projection of signs keeps costs down and is quick to implement. Third, the writing is effective and reaches everyone, not excluding any inhabitant from enjoying the work; this intervention was conceived by and for the inhabitants of Bergamo, no one excluded. It had to be immediately comprehensible, without the need for further explanation.
INSTALLATION SITES
The urban landscape was studied and different formats of light projections were planned for different locations, which were selected for their local relevance and/or as symbolic places of the pandemic days.
FONT
The font chosen was Roboto, with no serifs, to optimise the readability of the lettering. For each location, the optimal projection size for good legibility was also suggested
SERENA CROTTI PORTFOLIO 