As previously mentioned, my team and I were assigned the Headquarters of the Federazione del Fasci Milanesi and the Triennale di Milano as the two endpoints of our mapping assignment. For our presentation we decided to display a miniature exhibition inspired by that of Neo Preistoria – 100 Verbs by Andrea Branzi and Kenya Hara. Neo Preistoria was one of the first exhibits that we walked through at the Triennale and we were inspired by the journey it told through objects that at first glance were almost too abstract to connect. The connection and explanatory factor was the 100 verbs that were used to simply notate a characteristic at each key point.
While the exhibit at the Triennale was displaying a journey of mankind and objects overtime, our team’s goal was the use a miniature exhibit to map the ‘moods’ overtime during the journey from the Headquarters of the Federazione del Fasci Milanesi and the Triennale di Milano. Rather than the 100 verbs that broke down the long and continuous history of mankind and objects, our exhibit was broken down into seven main transitions in moods; each of which was assigned a descriptive verb.
Our exhibit could be read either ‘A’ to ‘B’ or ‘B’ to ‘A’, heaviness to lightless or vice versa. For our presentation, we followed to path that we first traveled and began with the heavy atmosphere of the fascist headquarters and moved towards to lightness surrounding the Triennale. The following words and contrived definitions were used to represent each key point throughout our journey, followed by the representative object.
SUPPRESS– To lower an opponent through intimidation. To stymie all hope.
DEPLETE– To exhaust completely. Continual loss from a supply.
STIMULATE– To pique interest. To stir physically and emotionally.
ROUSE– To awaken and captivate through thought or experience. To differentiate the immediate past and present.
MOBILIZE– To transport. To transcend spaces and locations.
UPLIFT– To fuel the spirit. To amplify the feeling of happiness or wellness.
EXPAND – “To broaden a space. Physically or mentally. To breach new territory in a literal or figurative manner.”
The first point after the headquarters of fascism, DEPLETE, was located at Borsa- Piazza degli Affari. This area is the financial district of Milan and is notable for the iconic middle finger statue in the center of the piazza. While this area was still suppressing in the function and atmosphere, is was slightly lighter than the Piazza San Sepolcro where the fascist headquarters is located. There started to be more people roaming the area- although all wearing the same attire of business professionals- and an overall sense of equality between the buildings around the piazza that differed from San Sepolcro where the fascist headquarters dominated.
After Borsa, the mood began to lighten more gradually as we came across an area more so dominated by commerce rather than cubicles. While business professionals could still be spotted in the area, there were also casual walkers, shop owners, and customers. The intersection that we labeled as the ‘core’ of this mood shift was at Via S. Marigalla alla Porta and Via Meravigili. The fragrances pouring out on the sidewalks from various shops inspired the chosen object and verb: A Jo Malone perfume sample ( from a shop on the corner) and STIMULATE. This was the beginning of a lighter mood beginning to take priority in our walk.
Just past the main section of commerce, an area more so dedicated to cafes and greenery came into sight. A romantic pathway of cobblestone and gardens connected the compressed commercial district of our walk to the large and open core of traffic on the other end. Notable for being the first part of walk that was adorned with greenery and flowers, ROUSE was chosen to help described the mood that this area emitted.
At the other end of the green walkway a familiar and unexpected area came into our line of sight. The oversized needles with the bright red, yellow, and green thread peaked out behind the trees. Cadorna. A main artery of traffic, vehicular and pedestrian, as well as commerce, MOBILIZE was the word that we felt best expressed the mood of this point in our walk. While we had previously seen a commerce area in our walk, the area had still been slightly depressed in its architectural and urban design. However, Cadorna represents a different mood of commerce – open, amplified, and fast-paced.
Just past Cadorna we came across our sixth shift in mood as we entered the edge of a park that led to the Triennale. It is important to note that over our last three weeks in Milan we have rarely seen anyone running or participating in physical activity for the purpose of working out. However, in this area- even just on the edge of the park- we came across person after person jogging in workout attire. This area probably had the most sporting attire in one outside public location at a time in Milan. Between the refreshing greenery and the inspiring runners that filled this area, UPLIFT seemed to be the proper explanation of what it felt like to be in this area of the walk.
And then, we arrived at our final destination – The Triennale di Milano. This area opened up completely and not only the physical environment changed, but also the mentality of the space. Although built of the same fascist time period at the headquarters of fascism, the Triennale represented something new. Built/designed by Muzio, a key figure in the Novecento Italiano movement, the Triennale was originally a way displaying fascist art and representations of Mussolini’s principles. However, with time the movement began to have friction with the fascist movement and authorities. The modern movement that began to be seen in the exhibits have shaped the Triennale and the environment surrounding. Although of similar materials to that of the headquarters of fascism, the Triennale has a lighter atmosphere architecturally and environmentally as well as mentally. Therefore, EXPAND was the proper verb to represent what the Triennale and its surroundings.
Overall, we feel as if we adequately captured the transition in moods overtime throughout our walk from the Headquarters of the Federazione del Fasci Milanesi and the Triennale di Milano. The verb choice and object choice were reflective of the characteristics of each key point in the walk that we identified and we hope that others were able to imagine the experience of the walk through the presented exhibition as well.