L'alcòva d'acciaio di Umberto Cavenago, 2014

CorTen Steel
380 × 220 × 420 cm

44°35'57.7"N 8°18'08.1"E

L’alcova d’acciaio by Umberto Cavenago

It is “L’alcova d’acciaio”, a novel in which Filippo Tommaso Marinetti recounts his wartime experience driving the Lancia-Ansaldo “1Z” armored car during the First World War, that inspires Umberto Cavenago’s installation.
The work reinterprets in an anti-war key the innovative assault vehicle celebrated by Marinetti in the name of the machinist myth, typical of futurism. L’alcòva d’acciaio by Umberto Cavenago is a powerful Cor-Ten vehicle, devoid of any belligerent purpose and built with solid, geometrically clear volumes. Hidden in a forest that grows and thickens, it is destined to be more and more hidden and seemingly impregnable: a perfect shelter to take refuge in silence.

Cor-Ten
The characteristic of Cor-Ten is that it protects itself from the aggression of atmospheric agents, through the surface formation of a passivating patina, formed by the oxides of its elements. Passivation protects against corrosion and changes chromatic hue over time. This behaviour is very different from that of carbon steel which is vulnerable to the corrosive action which makes the surface of the metal porous and brittle. The layer of rust that is created advances, revealing and affecting the underlying part composed of iron, until it is completely consumed.
The novel
L'alcòva d'acciaio is a novel by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti composed between 1919 and 1920 and published in 1921 by the publisher Vitigliano. The novel is a triumphant chronicle of the last year of the First World War, from the aftermath of the Piave counter-offensive to the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, as seen through the eyes of the author, a futurist poet, artilleryman and then commander of the crew of the '74' the '1Z Lancia Ansaldo' self-propelled gunship. The vehicle was adopted in 1915 by the Regio Esercito in a total of 150 units, assigned in squadrons to the cavalry divisions: they were used in action from the Second Battle of the Isonzo to the Battle of Vittorio Veneto.

L'alcòva d'acciaio di Umberto Cavenago, 2014

CorTen Steel
380 × 220 × 420 cm

44°35'57.7"N 8°18'08.1"E

L’alcova d’acciaio by Umberto Cavenago

It is “L’alcova d’acciaio”, a novel in which Filippo Tommaso Marinetti recounts his wartime experience driving the Lancia-Ansaldo “1Z” armored car during the First World War, that inspires Umberto Cavenago’s installation.
The work reinterprets in an anti-war key the innovative assault vehicle celebrated by Marinetti in the name of the machinist myth, typical of futurism. L’alcòva d’acciaio by Umberto Cavenago is a powerful Cor-Ten vehicle, devoid of any belligerent purpose and built with solid, geometrically clear volumes. Hidden in a forest that grows and thickens, it is destined to be more and more hidden and seemingly impregnable: a perfect shelter to take refuge in silence.

Cor-Ten
The characteristic of Cor-Ten is that it protects itself from the aggression of atmospheric agents, through the surface formation of a passivating patina, formed by the oxides of its elements. Passivation protects against corrosion and changes chromatic hue over time. This behaviour is very different from that of carbon steel which is vulnerable to the corrosive action which makes the surface of the metal porous and brittle. The layer of rust that is created advances, revealing and affecting the underlying part composed of iron, until it is completely consumed.
The novel
L'alcòva d'acciaio is a novel by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti composed between 1919 and 1920 and published in 1921 by the publisher Vitigliano. The novel is a triumphant chronicle of the last year of the First World War, from the aftermath of the Piave counter-offensive to the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, as seen through the eyes of the author, a futurist poet, artilleryman and then commander of the crew of the '74' the '1Z Lancia Ansaldo' self-propelled gunship. The vehicle was adopted in 1915 by the Regio Esercito in a total of 150 units, assigned in squadrons to the cavalry divisions: they were used in action from the Second Battle of the Isonzo to the Battle of Vittorio Veneto.

Morgan, Andrea, Giorgio e Saule Rebuzzi

Photo @ Umberto Cavenago
Preview at Officine Rebuzzi
Photo @ Alessandro Zambianchi
"L'alcòva d'acciaio" by Umberto Cavenago, seen from the sky on the day it hosts ZWANG, a video installation by Carlo Dell'Acqua. Shot with Dji Phantom 3
www.videoforart.it

Carlo Gelmi e Andrea Cavenago

Photo @ Umberto Cavenago
Photo @ Alessandro Zambianchi
Photo @ Alessandro Zambianchi

Alessandro Zambianchi

Photo @ Umberto Cavenago
Photo @ Bart Herreman

Ilaria Caldirola, Lucio Arzuffi and Larissa Galler inside the sculpture

Photo @ Umberto Cavenago

Patrizia Musso

Photo @ Umberto Cavenago

Alessandro Castiglioni

Photo @ Umberto Cavenago

Bart Herreman

Photo @ Umberto Cavenago

Setting

Photo @ Roberto Colombo
Photo @ Andrea Chemelli
Photo @ Andrea Chemelli
Photo @ Andrea Chemelli

Inside the sculpture, during a survey at night
Photo @ Umberto Cavenago

Barbara De Ponti sets her work Time map, inside L'alcòva d'acciaio on the occasion of the fourth edition of Prière de toucher, project conceived and curated by Ermanno Cristini

Photo @ Bart Herreman

Barbara De Ponti sets her work Time map, 2015

Photo @ Bart Herreman

Barbara De Ponti sets her work Time map, 2015

Photo @ Bart Herreman

Barbara De Ponti sets her work Time map, inside L'alcòva d'acciaio on the occasion of the fourth edition of Prière de toucher, project conceived and curated by Ermanno Cristini

Photo @ Bart Herreman

Barbara De Ponti sets her work Time map, 2015

Photo @ Bart Herreman

Barbara De Ponti sets her work Time map, 2015

Photo @ Bart Herreman

Barbara De Ponti sets her work Time map, 2015

Photo @ Bart Herreman

Barbara De Ponti sets her work Time map, inside L'alcòva d'acciaio on the occasion of the fourth edition of Prière de toucher, project conceived and curated by Ermanno Cristini

Photo @ Bart Herreman

Barbara De Ponti
Time map, 2015
metal stickers on Cor-Ten

Photo @ Bart Herreman

Ermanno Cristini
Artistic Gymnastics. Prière de Toucher on mute map for D., 2015

Photo @ Bart Herreman
Photo @ Umberto Cavenago
Photo @ Umberto Cavenago
Photo @ Umberto Cavenago
Photo @ Umberto Cavenago
Photo @ Umberto Cavenago
Photo @ Umberto Cavenago
ZWANG: a video installation by Carlo Dell'Acqua hosted inside the sculpture
An exhibition of works by Umberto Cavenago, Ermanno Cristini and Barbara de Ponti, among the hills of the Langhe. With a conversation between Giulia Brivio and Ermanno Cristini, creators and curators of the project "Prière de toucher", at its fourth editi
www.videoforart.it

Google Street View

L'alcòva d'acciaio accomplished at Officine Rebuzzi

Photo @ Alessandro Zambianchi

Vittorio e Carlo Gelmi

Photo @ Umberto Cavenago

Andrea Cavenago

Photo @ Umberto Cavenago

Morgan Rebuzzi inspects the junctions of the box elements that make up the body of L'alcòva d'acciaio.

Photo @ Umberto Cavenago

Preparations for disassembly before the transport. At Rebuzzi.it

Photo @ Umberto Cavenago

Preparation phase at Rebuzzi.it

Photo @ Umberto Cavenago

L'alcòva d'acciaio accomplished at Officine Rebuzzi

Photo @ Alessandro Zambianchi

Anselmo Basso portrayed by Umberto Cavenago

Photo @ Umberto Cavenago
Photo @ Bart Herreman
Photo @ Bart Herreman
Photo @ Bart Herreman
Photo @ Bart Herreman
Photo @ Bart Herreman

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