Lucca Biennale Cartasia 2024

Bonzo, by Italian artist Libero Maggini, sits on the terrace of the Palazzo Guinigi. He is created out of paper and wax. The artist describes Bonzo as an extraterrestrial who acts as an oracle. He sure has some great views over Lucca’s rooftops.

Small models of some favorite pieces from past LUBICAs help to celebrate 20 years of the event.

Every two years Lucca hosts a unique art show – the Lucca Biennale Cartasia or LUBICA.  This year marks the 20th anniversary of the event.  In recognition of the anniversary, there is a special display on the history of LUBICA, with photos and models of some of the large scale pieces from previous years.  What a joy to revisit some of my favorites from past years.

 LUBICA is a celebration of art, architecture, and design using various forms of carta (paper).  Artists use plain and colored paper, cardboard, tissue paper, old magazines, torn up boxes – any form of paper will do – to build fabulous and intriguing creations.

Folded paper makes beautiful design in this piece entitled Ophelia by Italian artist Alberto Fusco

Participants from around the world are selected based on samples of work representative of the year’s theme.  Those chosen participate in a residency in Lucca where they are provided with laboratory space, materials, and financial support as they build their pieces. 

Ignosy by Manuela Granziol of Switzerland sits in the entry to the Palazzo Guinigi. Look closely and see that it is created with magazine pages.

This year’s theme is Qui e Ora, Domani which translates as Here and Now, Tomorrow.  The organizers explain that this theme embraces looking forward through an artistic lens while knowing that living in the present “is the only moment we have to fully exist, grow, feel, love, and rejoice”.  All the works embrace this theme, each with its own perspective and interpretation.

Below: The workspace of the artist Martina Madrigali who works with painted paper to created collages, many of whom feature her grandfather and his garden.

The indoor setting for this year’s show is the newly restored Palazzo Guinigi. The palazzo provides a perfect backdrop for the small to medium sized art works, the architecture pieces, and the whimsical fashion designs which are positioned over several floors of the historic building.  

 Above: Gilda Lily (Ramona Sonin, USA), Homeland (papercut, Asya Kozina, Ukraine), Purses (Angelo Lussiana, Italy)

Above: Design Temporariness. ATI Project. One of the architectural pieces on display.

The final pieces are on the floor of the palazzo with a terrace. Step outside to see Bonzo (top photo), catch a bit of a cool breeze, and admire the views over Lucca’s roof tops.

Above: 2 pieces by Ukrainian artist Valentina Danylenko

LUBICA runs through 29 September. Stay tuned next week for photos of the larger outdoor works.

The roof tops of Lucca as seen from a window in the Palazzo Guinigi.  The building was recently restored and provides a perfect setting for LUBICA.  The views are part of the show!

Lucca In A Few Words

Just one of Lucca’s beautiful balconies

I am often asked to describe what it is about Lucca that I love and why I have chosen it as my base in Italy. Sometimes it is American friends who want the answer but very often it is an Italian, un proprio Lucchese (a true Lucchese), who asks me these questions.  They are curious about where I came from and why I moved here.  This often leads to a conversation about the joys of living in Lucca.   Best of all, these conversations take place in Italian, a language I am still struggling to learn. 

Recently I went to a local shop to buy some replacement lampadine (light bulbs) and a lampada (a lamp) for my bedroom.  The delightful owner started the conversation – where was I from, how long have I been in Lucca, where in Lucca do I live, and why Lucca.   I explained that I come from a big city in the United States, always in the car, lots of chaos and not so safe.  Then I used the words I know best to describe why I love it here.

The Torre Guinigi, famously topped with Oak trees, rises up just around the corner from my Lucca apartment.

A glimpse of a church window on an early morning walk is one of Lucca’s delights

I said that Lucca was una città bella (a beautiful city), tranquilla (calm), sicuro (safe), accogliente (welcoming), con musica e arte (with music and art).  Also that I loved le strade Medievale (the Medieval streets). He replied with a word that was new to me, but whose meaning was immediately clear, a word that made perfect sense.  Lucca, he said, is vivibile. 

 Vivibile means livable. That is a perfect word to describe Lucca.  Building a life here is wonderful because the city is livable.  The historic walls are like a big hug (un abbraccio) and also serve as a place to walk, run, bike, and socialize. 

 Lucca has all the characteristics and charm of a Medieval Italian hill town but without the hills (good for aging knees and hips).  The piazzas are filled with churches, statues, and fountains.  The many beautiful wooden doors, some ancient and worn others newly painted, often with ironwork atop, are a photographers dream.  Balconies are filled with flowers.  There are enticing cafes, pasticcerie (pastry shops), and restaurants.  Fresh food and good wine are available at reasonable prices.  Lucca hosts events that make life more enjoyable – concerts, festivals, art shows, garden shows, opera  – year round.  All within walking distance!   Above all the people of Lucca are amichevole (friendly). 

One of Lucca’s many cafes, The Santa Zita, where you can enjoy a coffee or a drink with a view of the mosaic capped church of San Frediano.

 I was happy to add this new word – vivibile - to my vocabulary of words that describe Lucca. 

Sunday Morning at Lucca’s Antiques Market

I am trying to imagine how this old wheel barrow would have been used.

The monthly antiques market in Lucca takes place the weekend of the 3rd Sunday of each month. If planning a visit pay careful attention to the calendar - count Sundays, not Saturdays, else you might miss it!

Strolling through the market, which spills across several large piazzas in town, is a once a month ritual for me. The small size of my apartment in Lucca doesn’t allow me to buy much, but I always have fun looking.

Some vendors show up every month with similar wares - glass demijohns, old cameras, silver serving wear, chandeliers, glassware, tea cups, old brass, vintage clothing. But I often find either something new and different or a particularly eye catching object. That’s what keeps the market interesting month after month !

Blue skies and mild temperatures enhance the experience of a market stroll.

At the June market, I was really taken by this vintage brass espresso machine. If only I had room for it in my tiny kitchen.

And this - is it a small Grappa press ? I imagine a home grape producer using it to press his leftover grape skins to make some excellent small batch grappa. A perfect hobby for a grape growing Nonno.

I’ve seen several metal chickens and other animal sculptures over the years, but this is the first cockatoo I have found. At least cockatoo is my best guess for this yellow plumed bird.

I would love to know his story.

The assortment of intriguing objects, and the artful way they are displayed, brings out my camera every time. These are just a few of the interesting finds from the June market.

As an added bonus last month, a brass band, complete with pompom girls, marched straight through the market. They stopped in front of Lucca’s Duomo to entertain a crowd of market goers. Just a little extra fun on market day !

Hollywood comes to Lucca

For a couple of months this spring Lucca became a film set. All through town movie crews, and stars from both Hollywood and Italy, filmed a new Peter Greenaway film. The names of the American film stars may be familiar - Dustin Hoffman and Helen Hunt. Both spent time in Lucca before and during filming and star sightings became quite the topic of conversation around town. And while I did not have any close encounters with the actors, the word was that they were both gracious and friendly, patiently posing for photos with locals and tourists alike.

(Photo below of Dustin Hoffmann, and his serious looking bodyguard, courtesy of a friend)

The title of the film is not yet final, originally the script was titled Lucca Mortis, but the working title during filming was Tower Stories. Two towers play a central role in the story - the Twin Towers in NY (the film is set just after their collapse) and Lucca’s famous Torre Guinigi.

According to an interview given by the director, Hoffman’s character, Jacob, is an elderly man who returns to Lucca after the 911 attacks in New York. His journey Lucca, where his grandmother was born, is in search of his family roots. Confronting his own death, an inevitability of aging, is a major theme of the film.

Having absolutely no experience in film making, acting, or anything Hollywood, the part I found fascinating was the process of filming.

One day, I watched as crews hung laundry along via del Fosso. As for why the laundry was arranged by color - one line of blue boxers, one of yellow shirts, one of white long johns, etc - I guess we will have to see the film to figure this out.

One thing I learned was just how much equipment, and how many trucks, were needed for film making. There were trucks for lighting, trucks with electrical equipment, costume trucks, and food trucks to feed the crew. Lucca is a very small town and it was filled with all the movie making paraphernalia.

Another movie making requirement is the use of extras. Months before filming started a call for extras went out. There were a lot of people interested. Was it a chance for fame or because the daily pay was good?

One rainy day saw a long line of locals waiting for a chance to sign up to participate.

Not all the extras were adults - how cute are these child extras dressed in school girl costumes with their mammas standing watch ? It will be fun to watch for their appearance in the final film.

In this photo the real statue is on the left, the movie madonna on the right.

Lucca has a famous statue of a madonna surrounded by a halo of stars - the Madonna lo Stellario. Apparently it was not in a perfect position for the film makers as they created a temporary one of their own. I think the original is best!

The movie finished most of the filming in May, but in late June / early July the crew returned to Lucca to film a few more scenes as well as some drone shots over the city. Drones are scheduled to film along Via Guinigi in the next few days. I wonder if the palazzo where my apartment is located, currently all wrapped in scaffolding for a roof replacement, will make the final cut?

A photo from a local news story shows a scene filmed just down the street from my apartment.

The movie should reach theaters sometime in 2025. Here’s hoping that Lucca will be the site of the premier!

This bit of Dustin Hoffman memorabilia was seen in the window of a local bookstore during filming.

Celebrating the Carabinieri

One of my favorite things about living in Lucca is that so often one just stumbles across an interesting celebration, festival, performance, or activity.  The big events are publicized in advance, but often the smaller ones are not and so coming across one is always a pleasant surprise.

Ceremonial uniform with plumed hat (Liberation Day, April 2024).

 One day earlier this month (June 2024) as I was out and about running errands, I came across a big gathering in Piazza Napoleone, Lucca’s largest piazza.  There were speakers and flowers, a red carpet, and lots of Carabinieri in dress uniforms.  Curious, I had to find out what the event was all about.  What I discovered is that June 5th is the Giornata Nationale dell’Arma del Carabinieri (National Carabinieri Day).  The event marks the day the Medaglio d’Oro (Gold Medal for military valor) was awarded to the Carabinieri for service in World War I.

The carabinieri have a special function in Italian policing.  They function both as a civil police force, catching criminals, quelling riots, performing rescues, and maintaining public safety.  But they are also military police and so function as a branch of the armed services too. Serious business being a member of the carabinieri!

Historical image of a long-ago Carabinieri

The Carabinieri have been around for a long time, ever since their formation by King Vittorio Emanuele I in 1814.  Their name comes from the weapon they carried, the carbine. They also carry some pretty impressive swords.

There have long been strict regulations for how the force dressed. No doubt they have always cut a dashing figure. But I’ll bet those early uniforms were far less comfortable than the modern ones.

Photo adapted from official Italian Presidential Press site

Today, the Italian Carabinieri are considered to be among the best dressed police force in the world (just think about how many Facebook photos of attractive uniformed carabinieri are posted).

After all, Georgio Armani had a hand in designing the modern uniforms.  The mix of the Italian “bella figura” Armani style along with the distinguished military presence is a combination that is pretty hard to beat!

On June 5th the celebration included not only uniformed Carabinieri but uniformed soldiers and a collection of vehicles used in police and military work over the years. The display included bicycles (complete with rifle mounts) and several vintage motorcycles.  The cars were much more sophisticated - included were an elegant Lancia and a Balilla Spider from the 1930’s along with a progression of more modern, but much less elegant, service vehicles. 

Stumbling across this celebration was unexpected and provided a chance to learn some interesting facts about the carabinieri.  All on a beautiful spring day in Lucca.