The temporary façade has been printed with architectural precision, on a PVC canvas ten meters high by eleven meters wide, to give the sensation of solid architecture that allows the work being carried out in the palace of the Italian capital to be hidden.
The intervention applies the sculptural technique of bas-relief to generate a three-dimensional collage effect, in which archetypal shapes and elements of the palace walls are appropriated, as well as elements from the church of Santa Susanna in Rome and elements from the architects' projects. contemporary Italians such as Carlo Scarpa, Luigi Moretti, and Amin Taha.
BassoRilievo by ROBOCOOP. Photograph by ROBOCOOP.
Project description by ROBOCOOP
Conceived between 2021 and 2023, the latest installation by ROBOCOOP, BassoRilievo, exemplifies a deliberate intention to construct an illusionary infill facade within the courtyard of Palazzo Mattei di Giove, situated in the historic Ghetto neighborhood of Rome.
Commissioned and produced by the public institution Soprintendenza Speciale di Roma, the artwork serves the purpose of concealing the current construction site of the restoration of the courtyard facades originally designed by Carlo Maderno in 1598. Originally, the courtyard functioned as an open-air lapidarium, where numerous ancient Roman reliefs and sculptures adorn the walls. ROBOCOOP’s design process is rooted in this context, to fashion a temporary facade for the courtyard.
These fragments span a spectrum from the Renaissance era to the present day: in fact, BassoRilievo draws inspiration from the sculptural and plastic qualities of another of Carlo Maderno’s illustrious projects, the facade of Santa Susanna church in Rome, but also from modern and contemporary architects, such as Carlo Scarpa, Luigi Moretti, and Amin Taha.
BassoRilievo by ROBOCOOP. Photograph by ROBOCOOP.
The overall composition of the facade meticulously follows the rhythmic patterns of architectural elements, as depicted by Gerolamo Mengozzi Colonna in his fresco adorning the interiors of Palazzo Labia in Venice.
The final result of BassoRilievo is a 1-to-1 scale image that symbolizes a timeless yet ephemeral monument crafted from a collage of fragments, references, and traces.
