Progetto Riva

In 1966 Florence went through the dreadful experience of the flood, which caused over one hundred casualties, besides damaging or destroying thousands of masterpieces of art and rare books. The joint effort of Italian and foreign volunteers made it possible for many of these works to be restored, but after this tragedy, the city forgot the banks of the Arno, casting an aloof gaze over them with waning intimacy.
The RIVA Project, with the direction of Valentina Gensini, was conceived with the ultimate goal of creating a fluvial park in the heart of the city, enjoying the participation of artists, curators, researchers, biologists, and architects from all over Italy and farther afield. In the last few years, with an eye on rediscovering the environmental and cultural heritage associated with the river, the RIVA Project has produced art installations and exhibitions in collaboration with photographers, artists, and composers who have created innovative visual and sound portraits of the river and its recollections, besides fostering new visions of the river and its banks, workshops, round tables, artist residencies.
The catalogue offers an overview on the most interesting interventions produced during the last five years, since the 50th anniversary of the flood.

Contents

PROGETTO RIVA
The river and the ecosophical city

RIVA PROJECT: RESILIENT COMMUNITIES FOR AN ECOSOPHICAL APPROACH TO URBAN PLANNING
Valentina Gensini

THE FLOODS OF THE ARNO RIVER
Aldo Piombino

ARNO ECO-MUSEUM
Antonio Capestro

LANDSCAPE AND ECOLOGICAL PRACTICE
WHEN THE FLOOD HAS DROWNED EVERYTHING
Giuseppe Ridolfi

RESILIENCE AND SOCIAL INCLUSION THROUGH PARTICIPATORY PRACTICES IN PLANNING THE URBAN SPACE
Annacaterina Piras

DISCARDING AND RE-ASSIMILATING -
DFLA AT ARNOLAB AND MAD
Dermot Foley

MAKING ART IN FLORENCE
Susan E. George

WALKABOUT/SOUND MIGRATIONS
Benedetta Manfriani

CHINA PROJECT
Xiuzhong Zhang

NEW ARTISTIC AND NATURAL ACTIONS ON THE ARNO BANKS
Carlo Scoccianti

LUMEN
Jenny Sabin Studio

WORKS
Original productions and site-specific installations

THE RIVA PROJECT: CURATORSHIP PRACTICES AND EXPERIMENTAL METHODOLOGIES FOR A NEW VISION OF PUBLIC CONTRACTING
Valentina Gensini

EDOARDO DELILLE – PAOLO WOODS

LWCIRCUS

BERNARD FORT

FOTOROMANZO ITALIANO

IL DIARIO POPOLARE

MARTINO MARANGONI, DAVIDE VIRDIS, GIUSEPPE TOSCANO

RIVER OBSESSIONS

ADRIAN PACI

FRANCESCO PELLEGRINO

KATRINEM

KIRSTEN STROMBERG

RADIO PAPESSE

ZHANG XIANG

PAOLO MASI

STUDIO ++

YUVAL AVITAL

ARNO RAFAEL MINKKINEN

JAY WOLKE

MASSIMO VITALI

RESILIENT CULTURE
Testimonies of the 20th century to imagine the future

BEYOND BORDERS
AFTER THE FLOOD: THE ARTISTS’ ENGAGEMENT
Valentina Gensini

FOR A MANIFESTO OF CONTINUED, NECESSARY, DYNAMIC RESILIENCE
Enrico Crispolti

THE FUTURE OF ART
Renato Barilli

THE ART CRITIC, THE MUSEUM, THE ARCHIVE
Arturo Carlo Quintavalle

BIOGRAPHIES