WHAT IS THE MAIN IDEA OF THE PROJECT AND WHO IS THE TARGET GROUP?

Starting from the text by the famous writer Italo Calvino, 'Le città invisibili/The invisibile cities', the project intends to map the city through a collection of sounds/silence/noises that are typical of specific areas: the suburbs, schools, markets, squares. The project intends to create spatial and functional surveys for the definition of an idea of architecture and space referring to today's acoustic ecology and sociology.

Port City Safari represents an international network of cultural exchanges, exhibitions, a series of publications and art platforms. The project highlights diverse research projects and trajectories dedicated to trade, mobility and productivity in participating port cities.

WHAT DOES THE PROJECT INCLUDE?

The project started in Bristol (UK) with the first stopover of the exhibition Port City. Topics touch on mobility and exchange, including art works by Meschac Gaba, Maria Magdalena Campons Pons, Zineb Sedira, Yto Barrada and Ursula Biemann…

After the site-specific projects, during the Istanbul and Athens Biennials, Port City Safari has explored the cities of Rotterdam, Tangier, Marseilles and Palermo. The project was presented in its entirety during the 'Liverpool Biennial' 2008 and closed in Sassuolo (Italy) in November/December 2008 with a series of workshops and exhibitions.

The first Italian exhibition dedicated to Zafos Xagoraris, artist and curator at the next Biennial of Visual Arts in Athens, has been organised for Sassuolo. The event represents a relevant contribution to the knowledge and promotion of an important protagonist of the international art scene. The city of Sassuolo, the last stopover of the journey, represents a very interesting case for its multifaceted urban and social layering.

Zafos Xagoraris's work can be seen both as architecture and sculpture in public space. His sound installation was presented in the main square of the city with a transmisison of sounds from different port cities.

An international workshop fostered cultural exchanges between young students from Europe and the Mediterranean area. Videos and images collected from different areas of the city of Sassuolo (industrial areas, street markets, schools, suburbs, etc…) was presented at the Cultural Centre 'La Casa nel Parco'.

For Spring 2009, at the end of the entire project, a publication documenting the artists' works (including theoretical essays, images and maps) will conclude the long and articulated journey of 'GOING PUBLIC '08. PortCitySafari'.

HOW IS THE PROJECT FINANCED?

Since September 2007 the aMAZElab cultural lab of Milan has developed this international project, supported by the European Community, in cooperation with the Arnolfini Art Centre of Bristol; the project also received a Culture 2007 Grant.