Vicenza (i)
)-) / 15,000 Steps
wien (A) Müllverbrennungsanlage Wien 9, Spittelau
+( / Wonka’s incinerator
Counting steps might feel odd, but try and map an ever-changing city without it. The book Vicenza-based writer Vitaliano Trevisan is most known for was titled “15,000 Steps.” Its protagonist doesn't feel emotionally attached to his suburban neighborhood, nevertheless he refers to its landmarks, measuring their distance in steps. Urban spaces evolve and walking paths may change, originating new living dimensions along with different cityscapes. Marked by XVI century architect Andrea Palladio's architectural style, that gained the city its UNESCO World Heritage status, Vicenza has been bombed and rebuilt, before exploding in several residential quarters radiating from its city center. Even though Trevisan is not at all merciful to Vicenza's urban sprawl, it's a fact that the city has expanded both geographically and economically, becoming the third pole in Italy in terms os exported goods, as well as becoming fertile ground for small enterprises. The many urban redevelopments also brought much debate about issues in community life, such as the A31 Valdastico Sud highway in 2005 and, more recently, a project to build a new American military base in the Dal Molin airport. The real and the imaginary mesh and collide between a city and its literature, and just taking a walk might help exploring how.
In the suburbs of Vienna, what would normally be a hideous landmark to industrial pollution has been transformed into a whimsical candy factory straight from the pages of Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”. The Austrian artist, architect and eco-activist Friedensreich Hundertwasser legacy is marked less by his eccentric ideas, his tireless self-promotion, or even his reputation as an artist, as opposed to his delightfully gaudy architectural facades, including that of the Spittelau Incinerator. Hundertwasser has always celebrated whimsicality, arguing aesthetics should follow the purposes of a human-centered, environmentally conscious, and often chaotic design. His buildings have never been set up as models and his ideas are not likely to be imitated, but his influence can still be felt especially in the tourism industry. Though designing an incinerator may seem paradoxical coming from an outspoken environmentalist (and nudist), might seem paradoxical, Hundertwasser refused to participate unless the factory was as green as was possible at the time of his intervention.
Travelbag Trevisan Vitaliano, "I quindicimila passi: Un resoconto", Einaudi, 2002. Map, Aram Bartholl, (youtube.com/watch?v=tvHeNC5VJw8). Radio Aporee, (aporee.org/aporee.html). Google Earth Hacks, (gearthhacks.com).
Travelbag Stuart Mel, “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”, Paramount Pictures, 1971. Hundetwasser Mould Manifesto against Rationalism in Architecture, (tinyurl.com/5lz3u9). Bernard and Hilla Becher’s industrial photography, (tinyurl.com/5frrby). Akron Family’s bio-rock, (myspace.com/akak).
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