Piazza Maggiore changes face and does so in a clear, almost surprising way. Between the Basilica of San Petronio, Palazzo Re Enzo and Palazzo d’Accursio, enormous “rocks” up to 14 meters high are taking shape, unexpected presences that redesign the space and invite you to slow down your gaze. This is Iwagumi Dismeasure, the monumental installation by the Australian studio Eness, which arrives in Europe for the first time from 21 to 26 December thanks to Bologna Festival and Illumia.
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The assembly began on December 16, under the curious eyes of citizens and passers-by, already divided between amazement and questions. Nineteen inflatable megaliths, made of a technical fabric similar to Gore-Tex, occupy the square with surprising realism. The surfaces, illuminated by a dynamic system of lights, recall the colors of the Dolomites and change throughout the day, creating a continuously changing landscape.
The project was born from the Japanese tradition of iwagumi, an asymmetric composition of rocks that finds balance in the relationship between solids and voids. Transported to the heart of Bologna, this aesthetic dialogues with the historical architecture and transforms it into an immersive experience. Lights, sounds and spaces intertwine: bird calls, frog calls, flowing water and musical pieces inspired by nature accompany the public along new paths.
«An emotional and poetic short circuit», defined it as Maddalena da Lisca, superintendent of the Bologna Festival, underlining the work’s ability to activate new readings of the city. The public can walk through the installation, move between the “rocks” and rediscover Piazza Maggiore from unusual angles, with a direct physical relationship with the urban space.
The inauguration is scheduled for December 21st at 6pm, with a musical moment entrusted to the soprano Iolanda Massimo and the pianist Paolo Andreoli. For Culture Councilor Daniele Del Pozzo, the installation represents “an opportunity to look at everyday places with different eyes”. Marco Bernardi, president of Illumia, speaks instead of an invitation to reflect on the meaning of Christmas, far from rhetoric and close to shared experience.
Created with the Municipality of Bologna and the technical support of Bologna Welcome, Iwagumi Dismeasure will remain open to visitors for free until Boxing Day. A temporary presence, destined to leave a lasting trace in the gaze of those who cross the square.
