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Official participation of the Republic of San Marino

The Republic of San MarinoSecretary of State for Foreign Affairs Secretary of State for Education and Culture, the University and Social Affairs

San Marino Foundation Cassa di Risparmio - SUMSUNESCO – Standing Delegation of the Republic of San MarinoSoroptimist Club of Kigali (SI-Kigali - SI-Kigali Etoile) Soroptimist Club of San MarinoUniversity of the Republic of San MarinoVenice Iuav UniversityCenter of studies and design for the innovation in the countries of the south of the world

Official Participation at the 11th International Exhibit of Architecture: Out there. Architecture BeyOnd Building La Biennale di Venezia September, 14th / November, 23rd 2008

Exhibit: SOUTH OUT THEREProjects for the south of the world: water, hygiene and health.

Exhibition location UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science & Culture in Europe Palazzo Zorzi – 4930 Castello, Venice, Italy

Commissioner Leo Marino Morganti

Curator Gaddo Morpurgo

Organization Edith Tamagnini, Lorenza Mel, Committee Maria Alessandra Albertini, Sabrina Zangoli

Scientific Committee Massimo Brignoni, Filippo Mastinu, Raul Pantaleo, Riccardo Varini, Marco Zito

Exhibit arrangements Dario Scodeller (archiroom associati)

Graphic Design Francesco Messina, Carlo Rossolini

Organization Mauro Paialunga


Out there?There is a need out there to invert the logic of the world of Design that essentially focuses on only 10% of the world’s population, without considering the other 90%: 5 billion 800 million people who have no access to that which we consider normal: a house, clean water, and food. With the results of the international conference Design, beyond the borders of development, organised in September of 2007 at the University of San Marino’s department of Industrial Design, on the occasion of the first San Marino Design week, an exhibit was presented showing a selection of recently developed design projects that give concrete solutions to problems of various areas in the south of the world. A few of the projects that stood out are: the Heart Surgery Centre Salam realized by Emergency in Sudan, and various projects of design for the transportation and depuration of water such as: the WaterCone by Stephan Augustin, the Solar Bottle by Alberto Meda and Francisco Gomez Paz, the Q Drum designed by Hendrikse, the Hippo water-roller designed by Grant Gibbs, etc.

The exhibit was completed with a selection of experimental projects that were created at the laboratories and didactic workshops held at the University of the Republic of San Marino and the IUAV Architecture University in Venice, which dealt with the problems of depuration and transportation of water and the improvement of hygienic conditions in Africa. On these themes, the University of San Marino set forth a program of international design laboratories that, in coordination with the Centre of studies and projects on innovation in the Southern Hemisphere, are to be realised in different countries of this geographic area. The first laboratory, atelier RWANDA, “Laboratoire de recherche et de projets d’innovation de design en Afrique” was constituted at the Centre d’accueil et de formation “San Marco” a Kanombe (Kigali) Rwanda, in collaboration with the two Soroptimist club of Kigali (SI-Kigali and SI-Kigali Etolie) and the Soroptimist club of San Marino.The atelier RWANDA focuses on the transfer of effective technology and design, for a valorization of natural materials that are available in the various regions of Africa.

The exhibit, which signals the return of the Republic of San Marino to the Biennial of Venice, aims to demonstrate how even a “small State” can constructively contribute through reflection and intervention on the great problems that affect the populations of vast parts of the earth.


it is with sincere pride And greAt sAtisfActiOn thAt the re-puBlic Of sAn MArinO pArticipAtes Once AgAin in the AMple venue Of Art, culture, reseArch And innOvAtiOn Of the Bien-niAl Of venice. The concurrence of this participation and its debut with the influential review of architecture, dedicating studies and projects to the world’s Southern Hemisphere, which struggles to free itself from the endemic afflictions of poverty and lack of structures and services that are necessary for survival, is a timely one deserving the utmost consideration. San Marino plants its roots in the spirit of solidarity and mutual understanding and is today, more than ever, a promoter and active part of numerous interventions of concrete solidarity towards underdeveloped realities that strongly require forms of international cooperation, tied not only to subsistence, but also to precise projects of progressive social and economic development. Now is the occasion for international laboratories of design to take on a signifi-cance and values that go beyond the project-design in order to achieve a true cooperation for development, as a social-humanitarian cause that the Republic of San Marino deems of imperative importance. The Atelier Rwanda is a tangible demonstration of such endeavours, and the forms of interaction between public and private offices in San Marino with lo-cal realities are the demonstration of that will to export science and culture, in a non-imposing manner, keeping compatible and respectful of local identities, its peculiarities and operative capabilities. A special thanks goes to those who have understood these endeavours and trans-lated them into effective opportunities for the Republic, which is opening a presti-gious international venue of great quality and value.

Fiorenzo StolfiSecretary of State for Foreign Affairs


After twenty-twO yeArs Of ABsence, the repuBlic Of sAn MArinO returns tO the venice BienniAl with An Active pAr-ticipAtiOn Of greAt significAnce At the exhiBitiOn sOuth Out there, prOjects fOr cOuntries Of the wOrld’s sOuth: wAter, hygiene And heAlth, representing the culturAl identity Of this sMAll stAte, its ideAl vAlues, And its cApAcity tO MeA-sure itself And cOnfrOnt the greAt dileMMAs Of Our cur-rent tiMes. The event presents a convergence of actions of the many people involved with the “atelier Rwanda” project, shown at this edition of the Venice Biennial as a concrete perspective of international cooperation, of which the exhibit constitutes the second phase, following the institution of the Centre for Studies and Projects of Innovation in Countries of the World’s South. The program proposes the realization of a place for European competencies in project-design to respond to the needs of African countries, attempting to miti-gate the intolerable disparity caused by a selfish asymmetric management of the processes of globalization. The exhibit will show the first results of the work conducted during the courses of the Industrial Design department at San Marino, where teaching encounters research, experiences and ideas, demonstrating how even a newly formed Univer-sity like ours can work as the driving force of important processes. Our presence at the Biennial of Architecture is also an occasion to develop relations between the IUAV University and our Campus in San Marino; the Centre for Studies and Projects of Innovation in Countries of the World’s South in fact opens a new season for research and for ethical and aesthetic recognition, which we hope can be useful for redefining policies that are finally capable of resolving problems and harvesting the interdependence of the South’s development along with the North’s.The IUAV of Venice will host this research activity at the palace of Ca’Tron, located on the Grand Canal, which will become the representational seat, as the “Fondaco of San Marino” over the coming years.In keeping with the Venetian tradition, as Ennio Concina reminds us, the fondaci were once places where “the movement and deposits of merchants with foreign faces and local cultural customs, who brought the wealth and opulence of their countries, with silver from the north and gold from the south, along with the rules and laws of their trade…” At the Fondaci of San Marino, we will present the ideas and projects from a small but proud State with a long and important history.

Francesca MichelottiSecretary of State for Education, Culture,University and Social Affairs of San Marino


National Commissioner

Leo Marino Morganti

sOuth. Out there. Projects for the world’s south of the world: water, hygiene and health.San Marino is part of a world which, because of its advantageous conditions of wealth, can put forth its knowledge and experience to create tools providing a dig-nity of life to those populations that do not have such means, due to the fact that they are often defrauded of their own natural and material resources. This all occurs within a tradition of solidarity in a country that, despite its modest size, has oftentimes offered hospitality to persecuted politicians and refugees. It is a country that, during the Second World War, opened its borders to tens of thou-sands of evacuees, to nourish them and share in their difficulties. And it was this small country that, back in 1848, abolished capital punishment and, in the 1980’s, drafted the first promulgation for a ‘rights to solidarity’ charter. Similar acts in a country’s culture constitute the basis for a wide spread humani-tarian sentiment, even when the emergencies seem insurmountable and extend themselves far beyond natural borders. From this background stems the “art of creating” (ideas, projects, works, objects) with aims that point more towards a prompt ethical dimension. Today globalized languages such as architecture (in the shadow of an internation-al style, where architects of a star system, unmindful of the more authentic aspects enunciated by the “modern movement” often create the “very same” project for Dubai that they would for New York) or industrial design (which seems to have lost its features of essentiality, reproducibility, and accessibility, which were so well articulated at the turn of the 20th century, from the Arts and Crafts move-ment to Bauhaus and from Morris to Gropius) mainly tend to satisfy the needs that are instated or to create objects for those who have it all, rather than people who need to respond to emergencies or needs of other parts of the world that make up the preponderant population of the planet. The work being produced at the Course of studies in Industrial Design at the Uni-versity of San Marino instead aims to generate active and effective strategies in order to recognise and concretely respond to the requests for the fundamental and elementary rights for that part of humanity. Our presence in an international scenario, like the Venice Biennial, allows our country to present a number of projects that were envisaged for the world’s South-ern Hemisphere, as the fruits of the collaborations and studies that developed during the course work at the University, following the first conference on “design beyond the borders of development” held in 2007. This is all in line with the theme proposed posed by Aaron Betsky, director of the 11th Biennial which will open this September, where architecture is no longer (and not only) intended as a defined space, but as a project in becoming; conceiv-ing of architecture does not exhaust itself with the construction, it goes beyond the architectonic object: Out There. Architecture Beyond Building. The theory,


analysis and criticism ultimately allow for a re-acquiring of the ethical aspects of the art of creating, the ποίησις, as the ancient greeks said, which include the beau-tiful and the good, while leading us to question the utility of man’s work, or else it recuperates the aesthetic and ethical nature together. To create architecture is not only a pure and simple construction of smaller or larger objects. In creating architecture, one must comprehend the essence and the reason for which objects are constructed. Developing design-plan that are outside the rules of fashion (those market-oriented fashions that push for the production of ephemeral objects) brings to mind the platonic precept which, in the dialectics between the beautiful and the good (καλός καì αγαθός) does not see any con-tradiction or negation of one category in the other. This calls for a re-reading of Vitruvian rigor, which establishes a series of basic principles of creating archi-tecture as a convergence of ratio firmitatis, utilitatis, venustatis, and views the ethical result (εθικός), according to the rule, and the aesthetic (αισθητικός) that is perceivable in the architectural project. Furthermore, it also recalls the traditions of western thought, from Aristotle to Kant, where science and conscience are indissoluble constants for the history and future of humanity. Therefore, creating project-designs outside and beyond short-lived trends, in-volves a daily reference to the ethos, rules of life, needs, and recognition of the fundamental rights of each and every human being. Art, science, technique and technology find their reason for being as instruments to serve man. And San Marino aims to provide its contribution in this direction. The school of Design, as an answer to the theme selected by Aaron Betsky, presents the exhibit SOUTH. OUT THERE. Projects for the Southern Hemisphere: water, hygiene and health. Recent products were conceived and oriented towards the “beyond” and the “out-side”, for those who do not have the sufficient resources to autonomously produce and conceive of such benefits. A solid group of artists, architects and designers, involved with the school of De-sign at the University of San Marino, has chosen to work for this objective. What is now needed are in-depth studies, ad adequate economy and cultural exchange. Since the ideas, the projects, the works and object will not come from above, they must be made together with those people who will later use them and perhaps eventually validate their contents and results, and therefore even further develop them if necessary.

continuity with the Past

Already in 1986, on the occasion of the Venice Biennale, the Republic of San Marino proposed a project called il Santachiara. Even then, it was a matter of


thinking about our future, and about the role of a small State with all its character-istics of autonomy and independence. In the following years, il Santachiara took shape at the University of San Marino which, through the school of Design, in 2008, is once again proposing at the Ven-ice Biennial, other projects that can still be included in that path of cultural growth and development that is greatly needed by out country. The presence in Venice of the Republic of San Marino at the 11th international exhibit of architecture, therefore takes on the precise meaning that will hopefully lead to a positive re-launching of the country’s image and its effective potential, within an international context, in favor of those who have not yet emerged from their state of difficulty and existential predicaments.

an hyPothesis for the future

In addition to contributing to making the rights of solidarity more concrete, an-other role that our country is authorized to exercise is to act as mediators of Peace. The creation of an observatory for Peace, could in fact be a future theme for San Marino to develop in the case of its possible presence within an international con-text such as the one offered today by the Venice Biennale. The Republic of San Marino has banished war for many centuries; and it can proudly point out its sure signs of civilization, such as the abolition of capital punishment, established in 1848, having the ample foresight and preceding many other small States of the Italian peninsula (San Marino being the only remaining Republic) as well as other States of Europe or America. Furthermore, it was the Republic of San Marino that instituted an international society for Peace back in 1905.To work in this direction can bring about results of higher moral values. To make this place a reference point, from where violent aggressions and war as means to resolve international conflicts can be banished, can constitute the key future steps to opening up a small State that does not deserve to be frequently assailed by those who only use it for material advantages and supremacy.


Atelier RWANDAreturning with a more amPle vision.“A centre for cultural production at the heart of the San Marino can be an important and obtainable objective, for a micro-nation that wants to maintain its active role in history.”This was written in 1986 by Fausta Morganti, the appointed deputy of culture for the Republic of San Marino, in presenting the Santachiara project at the Venice Biennale. 22 years later, the Republic of San Marino returns to present an exposition at the Biennale of Venice with an exhibit conceived and realised in those very spaces of the Santa Chiara Monastery, which, in the meantime, has become the main seat for the Department of Industrial Design at the University of San Marino. In this time period, the Monastery underwent a full restoration, employing great at-tention and skills to the project, and even if the project for a Foundation, conceived by Giulio Carlo Argan and Enzo Mari, was not completed, the building is now frequented daily by young people who use its spaces to work and study and realise their dreams for the future. It is encouraging that the project work presented at the 1986 Biennale was developed in the same place that today produces an exhibit focusing on the condition of populations in the South of the world. In addition to demonstrating that a “goal” was effectively obtained, the place also indicates a community that, instead of closing itself off in contemplation of its own history, finds its own strengths in the specificity of its history; and through its autonomy and freedom, it assumes a sense of responsibility in directing attention to the problems of other communities. The return of the Republic of San Marino to the Venice Biennale is therefore marked by a strong analogy of the two cities, which is made manifest in this occasion for exposition. In both cases, attention is focused on a cultural objective, a “project”, and the “exhibited objects” or “works”, are the pure exemplification of a know-how, having extensive qualifications and parameters that cannot be reduced to mere aesthetic evaluations. This is how the project (or desire?) came about for a place where people could meet to reflect upon the ‘culture of a territory’ (an emblematic expression in those years). It is a no less important fact that the project for a boarding house had such a central role to the project, demonstrating significant attention towards the necessity to slow down the pace and invest more in spending time together, to eat, sleep and share ex-periences… as the sole antidote against the frenzied consumerism that surrounds us. Today, we can present a place that already exists and functions, atelier RWANDA, which gives us the occasion for unifying two, or maybe more, parallel stories that travel side by side.

the first story

Close to Kigali, the capital city of the Rwanda, which the Northern of the world remem-

The curator Gaddo Morpurgo


bers (or has forgotten) for the genocide that took place, for which it acted as a more or less distracted observer, rather than for the green hills there described by Hemingway. Close to Kigali, the Soroptmist realised the “San Marco” Centre d’accueil et de forma-tion. In this case, the term ‘realised’ takes on the full significance of its meaning.The land was purchased, a project completed, buildings built to teach children, homes to house widows, as well as other structures to host the future students and people who can benefit from the activities that are organised. Already today, there are forty children there who enjoy the same privileges that our chil-dren once had when, in waiting to start grade-school, they could attend some of the mu-nicipal pre-school kindergarten centres, which our wealthy society no longer provides. It is the Soroptimist club in San Marino that significantly contributed to realising the San Marco Centre along with the Kigali club, and it is through their continued efforts that such a reality can grow and attain its full potential. Some of the “women” of the San Marino club came to the University to ask me if we could help them with a project for Rwanda.The problem was this: the traditional “agaseks k’uruhindu” working style for basket weaving risked being lost due to its time-consuming efforts with very little com-pensation. It was easier to make more simple objects in a globalized market of ethnic artisan goods. What was a possible solution?

the second story

From when the formation of Design, at least in Italy, started to break from the mar-ginalisation that Architecture schools assigned to it and develop in full autonomy at the University departments of Industrial Design, there started to be a gradual but inexorable non-complicated closing of the protection of “made in Italy”.This all happened while the University conceded to a bipartisan reform for 3+2 year programs, a bureaucratic formula with the purpose of demonstrating that it was capable of producing more University graduates. It also proved to be a useful academic opportunity to multiply courses and departments, diversifying the non-ex-pandable and specializing beyond reason. The results?The teaching of Design as a field of study for the preparation of presumed profes-sionals who were recruited with slogans such as: “if you’re creative, you’ll be able to design a lamp or a bench” – “you’ll become a designer, living off royal-ties, and during the trade fairs, your name and face will be printed all over the glossy pages of trendy magazines”. In opposition to this trend, for the past twenty years, we have worked on other things, convinced that our projects (for which design is, and remains, only one component) can also focus on problems that continue to be in need of solutions all over the world. We work with design in and for the world’s Southern Hemisphere, or more precisely for


the transfer of appropriate technologies and design and the evaluation of natural materials.

The atelier RWANDASome believe that it is “karma” which determines our encounters. Others, with whom I rather agree, remind us instead that it is the growth of singular personal histories, making up the cultural paths, which, through our travels and stratifica-tion of attainable goals, determines our encounters. The meeting of two stories brought about the realisation of atelier RWANDA, a Laboratory for the transfer of appropriate technologies and design and the valo-risation of natural materials that are present in the various regions of Africa. The University of San Marino, through the Research Centre of Projects and Innovation in the South of the world, is to invest its cultural resources in organising intern-ships for students who will complete a Masters course in Design for the Southern Hemisphere and experiment possible solutions to old important problems like building stable homes and obtaining drinkable water.

The exhibit, organised in occasion of the 11th International Exhibit of Architec-ture at the Venice Biennale, presents a few fragments (projects or prototypes?) from this active research path. This all has to do with the theme that Aaron Betsky set for this year’s appointment at the Biennale: Out There: Architecture Beyond Building? Even if the themes are generally just pretexts, for groups to consider while exhib-iting themselves, our presentation pertains particularly to the theme. If architecture, as Betsky writes, “is everything that makes us feel ‘at home’ in the world”, then our presentation truly applies. If “we need an architecture that questions reality”, our work does just that. If the challenge of the 11th International Exhibit of Architecture” is to “adopt and encourage experimentation regarding impermanent structures, visions of other worlds or tangible proof of a better world” we can affirm, without false preten-sion, that we have taken on this challenge. If there is something different, in the participation of the Republic of San Marino, regarding the Biennale’s program theme, it is not in the fact that we deal more with design than with architecture, but perhaps that we are facing problems of African countries in an exhibit that is still Northern-world-centric, where, except for the case of Egypt, no other nation of the African continent is represented.

In order to exist, stories must be the fruits of encounters, people, friendships and ideas.In this story, there are a great number of people encountered to proceed on towards an objective. We should thank all of them, but for all of them, I thank these six women: Bettina, Francesca, Itala, Maria Grazia, Scolastica and, obviously, Cristina.


the suMs sAn MArinO ‘cAssA di rispArMiO’ BAnk fOundA-tiOn, Once AgAin, respOnds tO requests fOr pArticipAtiOn with dutiful inter-est in initiAtives thAt prOMOte the presence Of Our repuBlic within An internAtiOnAl scenAriO Of culture. In this specific case, we are particularly proud to play a significant part in supporting an event that considers our country for bringing forth the knowledge and experience of projects that deal with serious problems, such as “the purification and transport of water and the improvement of hygienic conditions” for populations in the world’s South of the world, and those multitudes of people who suffer daily due to a lack of elementary means of sustenance. Our presence at an international venue of great relevance such as the Biennale of Venice, with a presentation of ideas and projects developed in San Marino, or conceived of by people who view San Marino as a point of reference for the advancing of their ideas, is certainly an accomplishment that gives our country great satisfaction.

Giovanni GalassiPresident of the San Marino Cassa di Risparmio Foundation - SUMS


Opere espOste

heart surgery centre salam (2004-2007)Federal Republic of Sudan – City of Khartoum

Customer: Emergency onlus – ngoCoordination: Rossella Miccio, Pietro ParrinoFirst project: Emiliano Cinelli, Fabrizio Fasano, Andrea Ciolli, Abele Ferro, Ennio RigamontiArchitectural project: Tamassociati – Raul Pantaleo, Massimo Lepore, Simona Sfriso, Sebastiano Crescini

Q- drum (1993)

function: Rolling tank for water transportationdesigner: Pieter Hendrikse & Hans Hendriksecity: Pietersburgnation: South Africaproduced by: Q Drum (Pty) Ltd Kaymac Rotomoulders and Pioneer Plastics

hiPPo water roller (2007)

function: Rolling tank for water transportationdesigner: Imvubu Projectsnation: South Africaproduced by: Imvubu Projects cc (Fourways, Sud Africa)


rototanica (2007)

function: Rolling tank for water transportationdesigner: Stefano Giunta, Francesco Anderlinicity: Genovanation: Italy

lifestraw (2005)

function: Filter - portable water depuratordesigner: Torben Vestergaard Frandsencity: Koldingnation: Danimarcaproduced by: Vestergaard Frandsen - Cina – Svizzera

lifestraw family (2005)

function: Filter - half-portable water depuratordesigner: Torben Vestergaard Frandsencity: Koldingnation: Danimarcaproduced by: Vestergaard Frandsen - Cina – Svizzera


watercone (2002)

function: Desalinator and water purifierdesigner: Stephan Augustincity: Monaco di Bavieranation: Germania

solar Bottle (2006)

function: Portable water depuratordesigner: Alberto Meda, Francisco Gomez Pazcity: Milano, Saltanation: Italy, Argentina

uv amPlifier (2007)

function: UV ray amplifier for SoDis water depurationdesigner: Lorenzo Antonini, Lanfranco Pignattacity: San Marinonation: Republic of San Marino


rolli (2008)

function: Means of transportation obtained in re-using the bases of sun-umbrellas designer: Cristian Cicchinécity: Fermo (AP)nation: Italy

revolution Q (2008)

function: Wheel for trasportation of tanksdesigner: Tiziano Maffionecity: Montebelluna (TV)nation: Italy

tank u (2008)

function: Universal tank for water transportation by bicycledesigner: Alessio De Luca, Elena Ferratocity: Costa di Rovigo (RO), Padovanation: Italy


rugiaPet (2008)

function: System for the recovery of drinkable water from dew condensation designer: Tommaso D’Olivocity: Udinenation: Italy

steamPot (2008)

function: Universal ceramic pot cover - water collector from cookingdesigner: Chiara Bertolin, Giulia Orlandocity: Marostica (VI)nation: Italy

water Plus (2008)

function: Autonomous washer sinkdesigner: Andrea Chiurato, Martino Guadalupicity: Bassano del Grappa (VI), Tolmezzo (UD)nation: Italy


dry Bathrooms (2008)

function: Automated dry bathroom systemdesigner: Claudia Ponchia with Mauro Paialungacity: Senigallia (AN), Padovanation: Italy

local PortaBle chemical toilets (2008)

function: Local portable chemical toilets made using local materials and technologydesigner: Mario Mastropietro with Mauro Paialungacity: Senigallia (AN), Conegliano (TV)nation: Italy

thirtyvalmara (2008)

installation designer: Gaddo Morpurgocity: Triestenation: Italy


site of exPosition

UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science & Culture in Europe Palazzo zorzi – 4930 castello, venice, italy


exhiBitiOn stAnd prOject


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modello ospedale

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twater plu

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modello

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modello

modelli

modello bottle dentro tec

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exhiBitiOn stAnd prOject


The Republic of San MarinoSecretary of State for Foreign Affairs Secretary of State for Education and Culture, the University and Social Affairs

San Marino Foundation Cassa di Risparmio - SUMSUNESCO – Standing Delegation of the Republic of San MarinoSoroptimist Club of Kigali (SI-Kigali - SI-Kigali Etoile) Soroptimist Club of San MarinoUniversity of the Republic of San MarinoVenice Iuav University

Center of studies and design for the innovation in the countries of the south of the world

SOUTH OUT THEREProjects for the south of the world: water, hygiene and health.14 settembre / 23 novembre 2008

sites Of expOsitiOn:

UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science & Culture in Europe

Palazzo Zorzi – 4930 Castello

from september, 12th to november, 23rd

mon-sun: 11.00 – 17.00closed: october, 18th - 19th

october, 25th - 26th

november, 15th - 16th

LABORATORIO 2729 Calle lunga san Barnaba Dorsoduro 2729

september 11th - 18th

mon-fry: 10.00 – 13.00 / 15.00 - 17.30sat-sun: 10.00 – 13.00 / 15.00 - 18.00

official participation of the republic of san marino - unesco · official participation of the...

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