CARNIVAL OF VIAREGGIO The Italian factory of fun
THE CARNIVAL OF VIAREGGIO CELEBRATES 140 YEARS Biting satire against the leaders, who are represented on the floats: they will parade from 3rd to 24th February 2013
Viareggio, the capital of Italian Carnival, celebrates 140 years of Carnival and do it in great style with 5 masked parades on the sea avenues. During the entire month of February (from 3rd to 24th ) Viareggio turns into the factory of fun: the city will be animated by parades of giant papier-mâchÊ floats, night parties, fireworks, theater festivals, gastronomic meetings and worldwide sport events.
Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio Ufficio Stampa tel. 0584 580756 -757 - ufficiostampa@ilcarnevale.com www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com
1
200.000 spectators attend every floats parade, fascinated by the gigantism of the buildings that made world famous the Masters of Viareggio: the floats manufacturers are in fact always looking for the best technical and artistic solutions to impress the wide public. THE MASKED PARADE The triple cannon shot is the clear signal that the party starts in Viareggio: it is shot from the sea and gives, every time, the start to the parade. As if by magic, the giant masks come to life between movements, music and dancing. An always new, exciting and fascinating show, but at the same time a cultural tradition that Viareggio enshrines for 140 years. The Great Masked Carnival Parades will be five, concentrated in a single month: February 2013. Sunday 3rd February 1st MASKED OPENING PARADE At 3 pm 2nd
3rd
Sunday 10th February MASKED GALA PARADE At 4 pm Tuesday 12th February MASKED RAI PARADE At 2.50 pm
Sunday 17th February 4th MASKED PARADE OF “TABERNELLA” At 3 pm Sunday 24th February 5th MASKED CLOSING NIGHT PARADE At 5 pm At the end of the parade reading of verdicts of juries Great Ending Fireworks INAUGURATION DEDICATED TO GIORGIO GABER The Carnival of Viareggio 2013 will open in the memory of Giorgio Gaber. Ten years after his death the Carnival Foundation, which already hosts with success the Gaber Festival in the “Cittadella del Carnevale”, wants to dedicate the first Masked Opening Parade on 3rd Febraury at the tenth anniversary of the death of the singer. Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio Ufficio Stampa tel. 0584 580756 -757 - ufficiostampa@ilcarnevale.com www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com
2
THE NUMBERS On the sea avenues of Viareggio can be admired 8 first – class floats, 5 second – class floats, 9 groups of masks and 10 isolated masks. Above every big float dance up to 250 masked people. FLOATS The manufacturers Masters of Viareggio build every year the joyous papier-mâché machines. More than 25 are the artisan firms that work all year round to the achievement of real traveling theatres. In many cases, they are art sons, who have inherited from their fathers and grandfathers skills and secrets of an unique craft in the world. The over 20 meters high and 12 wide floats are designed to amaze the audience and the very selected jury, that every year at the end of the Carnival draws up the rankings, decreeing about winners and losers.
THE PAPIER - MACHé The raw material of the Carnival of Viareggio is papier-mâché, or rather the paper mold. It was invented by the manufacturer from Viareggio Antonio D'Arliano in 1925. Paper mold allowed to build ever larger works, but light at the same time. Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio Ufficio Stampa tel. 0584 580756 -757 - ufficiostampa@ilcarnevale.com www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com
3
Models in clay, plaster casts, newsprint and glue made of flour and water, are the simple ingredients of the biggest show of its kind in the world. The philosophy of recovery and recycling, through an only manual technique, are the basis of the event. CITTADELLA DEL CARNEVALE Inaugurated ten years ago, the Cittadella is an architectural complex dedicated to the creation and preservation of the Carnival of Viareggio. A giant elliptical square arena used for big outdoor shows during the summer, hosts sixteen hangarlaboratories in which manufacturers forge their ideas and insights. Gigantic floats are created here. There are two museums, that are open to the public: one is dedicated to the history of the Carnival floats and the other to Carnevalotto Award, a valuable collection of works of art made by contemporary designer, inspired by the Carnival of Viareggio. THE ORIGINS The Carnival of Viareggio this year celebrates its first 140 years. It was born in 1873: there was the first parade of festively decorated carriages in the historic Via Regia, the heart of the old town. It was transferred to the Promenade at the beginning of the twentieth century and it has grown in size and popularity year after year. In 1954 the newly RAI sent his first outside live TV just from the Carnival of Viareggio, making it a big media event. In 1958, the report of the parade is broadcast in Eurovision. Nowadays it is currently the largest Italian folk event with a budget of € 5 million per year. BURLAMACCO The Carnival of Viareggio has its mask: Burlamacco. Burlamacco was created by painter and graphic from Viareggio Uberto Bonetti in 1930, from the following year the mask is on the official poster as symbol of the event. Bonetti was inspired by the masks of the “Commedia dell’Arte”, but he designed Burlamacco in a futuristic way: he wanted to summarize in the mask two highlights times of Viareggio’s life: the summer (with white and red, typical colors of umbrellas on the beaches in the Thirties ) and the Carnival. Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio Ufficio Stampa tel. 0584 580756 -757 - ufficiostampa@ilcarnevale.com www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com
4
THE SATIRE The Carnival of Viareggio is also known for its political satire that since 1960 bursts on the floats in a so scratchy way that over the years there have been cases of censorship. At election time the Carnival of Viareggio, this year, could not betray his biting vein: the political satire returns on the papier-mâchÊ floats, but it does it adapting itself to the present days. Renzi and Grillo appear in addition to the leaders of the Second Republic. There is also 'Er Batman, the former regional director of Lazio, Franco Fiorito, who is depictured among revelries and Roman parties.
CARNIVAL OF VIAREGGIO 2013 FIRST CLASS FLOATS Minotauro Minotaur Alessandro Avanzini The classical mythology explains the economic crisis, that is putting Greece on its knees. The terrible Minotaur lives again on the float, in this case it is the symbol of globalized economic oligarchies that crush vulnerable populations. In the background the ruins of Greece, which was once the cradle of civilization, now an emblem of the economic crisis.
Le nozze con I fichi secchi Do a wedding on a shoestring (In Italy: The wedding with dried figs) Massimo Breschi Scenes from a marriage: the bride is the Italian President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano, the groom is the Italian prime minister Mario Monti. And the wedding guests are political leaders, caricatured in the strangest and most satirical clothes . But the marriage did not give the desired results ...
Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio Ufficio Stampa tel. 0584 580756 -757 - ufficiostampa@ilcarnevale.com www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com
5
Fuck the austerity jazz band Gilbert Lebigre and Corinne Roger A band of light-hearted musicians beats the leaders in charge. And the ministers of Monti government and international leaders will end up under the blows of the battery. The hope is that the music changes, otherwise citizens will change it.
La guerra dei poveri The war of the poor Umberto and Stefano Cinquini The subject of the construction is the indifference to the tragedies in the world. In a bourgeois salon a typical family does not see, can not hear and does not speak, even wars and crashes happen on the doorstep. And like the three monkeys are covering his eyes, ears and mouth, while the world is falling apart.
Potere in maschera Masked Power Luigi and Uberto Bonetti Five giant harpies represent the five great powers: church, monarchy, military, judicial and multinationals. Each power is hiding behind a mask, they are strong enough to affect the life of states and people. The sketch is the project for a ever made wagon by the manufacturer and painter Giovanni Lazzerini (aka Menghino) died ten years ago.
Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio Ufficio Stampa tel. 0584 580756 -757 - ufficiostampa@ilcarnevale.com www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com
6
Il pollaio The chicken coop Carlo Lombardi The European Union? It is as a giant chicken coop dominated by the German cock. And other States, as many small chicks and chickens, are closed inside the fence, without freedom, autonomy and growth opportunities.
Non ti scordar di me Do not forget me Franco Malfatti The theme of the building is the overcrowding in the Italian prisons and the hard living conditions of detainees. But the indifference that thousands of prisoners and prison workers experience on their skin when they come out of prisons kills and warns above all the manufacturer. Ma il cielo è sempre piÚ blu But the sky is always bluer Roberto Vannucci The manufacturer takes inspiration from a song by the Italian songwriter Rino Gaetano. He mocks the one who imposes taxes, those become politics to steal, Grillo, Berlusconi and Renzi and invites to repeat a refrain that we all know: but the sky is always bluer. It’s as a liberating relief for large and small daily problems.
Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio Ufficio Stampa tel. 0584 580756 -757 - ufficiostampa@ilcarnevale.com www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com
7
FLOATS OUT OF COMPETITION Natura e Allegria por la Vida Nature and Joy por la Vida Fabrizio Galli The building is a tribute to Nicaragua, a country with which the Carnival of Viareggio is working. In Viareggio parades this float dedicated to the traditions of Nicaragua. In Central America, some water floats made by Galli participating in the Carnival of San Carlos
MASKED COMPLEX OUT OF COMPETITION La tribù del Carnevale The tribe of the Carnival Jonathan Francesconi and James Marsili The masked group, out of competition, is designed to invade happily the Masked Parade through a set of animation and carnival folk followed by a parade of 20 tribal style masks
SECOND CATEGORY FLOATS Aprite le finestre, è primavera Open the windows, it's spring Jacopo Allegrucci Election time? No, it’s time for spring cleanings in the corridors of the policy palaces. A plump cleaner, armed with a broom Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio Ufficio Stampa tel. 0584 580756 -757 - ufficiostampa@ilcarnevale.com www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com
8
and rags, is intent to give new air to the corridors of power, removing even the old skeletons in the closet.
Blah blah blah .... Edoardo Ceragioli And if the Carnival of Viareggio would propose a political party for the upcoming elections? It would surely the CP: Crazy Party. The manufacturer runs as premier the illustrious Blablando Lavanvera. (Blaffle Prattle)
E io pago! Satyricon 2013 And I pay! Satyricon 2013 Emilio Cinquini Aka “Er Batman� debuts at Carnival, the former regional director Franco Fiorito: he is portrayed on the stage of construction, among revelries of a party in Roman costume, like the one that ended in the scandal that hit the region Lazio. At the center of the building there is the poor taxpayer, who pays waste of public administration: it is represented by Toto, in its most classic gestures.
Tempo al tempo Time to time Luciano Tomei Time is sovereign as the fantasy of the manufacturer. And so that's the marking of the days and the seasons can be a fun subject for a building which is dedicated to this time and its passing.
Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio Ufficio Stampa tel. 0584 580756 -757 - ufficiostampa@ilcarnevale.com www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com
9
Mangiapane a Ufo The Scrounger Alfredo Ricci Time to waste in the public administration so that our political class is as a scrounger (in Italy is said "mangiare a UFO" --> eat without pay). And so the UFOs really come to see if remained a few crumbs from the great toaster in the middle of the wagon.
GROUPS OF MASKS Altro giro, altra corsa by Luca Bertozzi Sexy Toy's giocattoli birichini By Giorgio Bomberini Cera una volta by Michele Canova Burlamago nell'anno del drago by De Leo s.a.s. All'arrembaggio by Marzia Etna L'Italia che non cresce By Giampiero Ghiselli (project by Maria Chiara Franceschini) Qualcosa da salvare by Libero Maggini Terra in vista by Adolfo Milazzo Italia a rotoli by Enrico Vannucci Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio Ufficio Stampa tel. 0584 580756 -757 - ufficiostampa@ilcarnevale.com www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com
10