ScoglieraViva, the International Symposium of Outdoor Sculpture, organised by the Municipal Administration of Caorle, returns from 20 June to 1 July 2023. Over the last thirty years, it has transformed the cliffs of the city of Caorle, in the province of Venice, into a veritable open-air museum.
The 21st edition of ScoglieraViva will feature three sculptors selected by the MoCA cultural association, which has been involved in contemporary art since 2006, organising exhibitions and events of international calibre throughout the Veneto region and beyond. With this edition ScoglieraViva returns to being an invitation-only event, the artists are in fact selected through international scouting activities with a fixed presence of an Italian artist who this year turned out to be a woman under 30, Desirèe Pucci from Pietrasanta (LU), class of 1994, an artist of rare refinement, determined to express grace and elegance in her works that come to life from blocks of marble.
English-born Rob Good, who has been living and working in Italy for a few years now, always tries to convey amusement in his works and the creation of clouds has become his hallmark; and from Switzerland, the artist Reto Steiner uses a visual vocabulary that addresses various social, political and environmental issues. His works tend to incorporate time as well as space into an imaginary and experiential universe that gradually emerges. His works are exhibited in collections and public spaces throughout Europe.
The wonderful stage for the event is the long, ancient cliff, formed by large boulders of Euganean trachyte, which divides the picturesque old town of Caorle from the sea, forming one of the most beautiful promenades on the Upper Adriatic. Amidst clouds of dust raised by the pneumatic hammers digging out the thickest part of the boulders and the finishing work carried out with various types of chisels, tourists and residents will be able to observe for ten days the work of the three sculptors whose works will be added to the 132 already created over the years and which have been available online in the multilingual digital catalogue https://catalogue.scoglieraviva.com/ since a few days.
ScoglieraViva began in 1993 from an idea of local sculptor Sergio Longo, and has seen in its previous editions the participation of sculptors from many different countries, from Argentina, Korea, Japan, Israel, as well as many Italian sculptors.
Today, this unique seafront art gallery represents one of the most evocative places in the old Venetian fishing village and is an attraction for thousands of tourists, but it is also a heritage for all citizens.
The presentation to the public and the Inauguration Ceremony will be held on Saturday 1 July at 9 p.m. in Piazza Vescovado. The artists and institutions will be present, the stages in the creation of the works will be recounted through words and images, and at the end of the evening there will be a performance by the French duo TakT.
TakT will perform Scientific Emotions, an interactive audiovisual performance with live music and video projections that mix musical compositions with scientific data based on brainwave frequencies. TakT work with scientists from around the world and use scientific theories, experimentation, images, philosophy and data out of context to recontextualise, poeticise and transform them into artistic experiences.
“The International Open Air Sculpture Symposium ScoglieraViva is one of the most beloved appointments that most characterise the cultural proposal of the City of Caorle,” comments the Mayor of Caorle, Marco Sarto. “ScoglieraViva is a true open-air museum that the whole world envies us, and every two years it is enriched with new masterpieces. This year the programme of side events at the Symposium has been further enriched, to involve residents and guests as much as possible in the artists’ creative journey’.
The event is organised by the City of Caorle in collaboration with the MoCA cultural association, Fondazione Caorle Città dello Sport, the Consortium for the Promotion of Tourism Caorle and Eastern Venice, and the Pro Loco, with the patronage of the Veneto Region.
THE ARTISTS
Reto Steiner
1978 Switzerland
Work: Melting Point
Desirée Pucci
1994 Pietrasanta, Italy
Opera: La Calla
Rob Good
1982 UK, lives in Pietrasanta
Work: Caorle Cumulo
