02.09.18 Urban Reports + Poetica Del Territorio +

nuovi scenari alpini

Urban Reports www.urbanreports.org

Poetica del Territorio www.poeticadelterritorio.com

Giorgio Barrera www.giorgiobarrera.it

Curator

Giorgio Barrera

Texts

Viviana Rubbo

Tutors

Urban Reports: Davide Curatola Soprana, Alessandro Guida, Viviana Rubbo, Isabella Sassi Farías

Participants

Francesca Alti, Valter Iannetti, Maria Gabriella Porta, Franco Zanin

With the support of

Comune di Antey - Saint - André Comune di La Magdeleinde Comune di Torgnon Comune di Chamois Comune di Valtournenche Biblioteca di Donnas Ordine degli Architetti della Valle d’Aosta

In collaboration with

Comune di Saint Vincent

Design

Urban Reports / Alessandro Guida

Cover

La Magdeleine ©Urban Reports / Alessandro Guida

Thanks to

Valeria Machet, Luciano Zoppo Ronzero, Cristina Sanna, Claudio Planaz, Ezio Chappoz, Mauro Duroux, Michelangelo di Gioia, Carlo Navillod, Nevio Gelmini, Paolo Noz, Mario Pucci, Laura Lanterna, Stefano Gorret, Paolo Cognetti, Irene Borgna, Teresa Charles, Carmen Jacquemet, Nicole Maquignaz, Graziella Joyeusaz, called Anna

With the contribution of the experts

Antonio De Rossi Architect Oscar Torretta Anthropologist Mauro Cortelazzo Archeologist Luciano Bonetti, Architect, Ordine Architetti Valle d’Aosta

www.urbanreports.org [email protected] nuovi scenari alpini A LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP IN VALTOURNENCHE (VALLE D’AOSTA) TO PROMOTE A MULTIDISCIPLINARY REFLECTION ON THE ROLE OF PHOTOGRAPHY AS A TOOL TO INVESTIGARE THE CONTEMPORARY LANDSCAPE Writer Viviana Rubbo

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 2ND MARKED THE invested with works and major What all this has produced? How END OF THE LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY interventions that have radically and much has changed since then and WORKSHOP. DESIGNED, REALIZED deeply transformed it, leaving signs on how? AND PROMOTED BY URBAN REPORTS the landscape. Along the bottom of the TOGETHER WITH THE ASSOCIATION valley, the railway line arrived at the end During a long and intense week of POETICA DEL TERRITORIO AND GIORGIO of the XIX century, followed by the the activities, between August 26th and BARRERA, THIS EXPERIMENTAL industrial development along the banks September 2nd, the territories of ACTIVITY WANTED TO PROMOTE A of the Dora Baltea river. In the thirties Donnas, Antey-Saint-André, Torgnon, COLLECTIVE REFLECTION ON THE of the last century, the construction La Magdeleine, Chamois, Valtournenche TRANSFORMATIONS THAT TOOK PLACE of large power plants including Maen and Cervinia have been explored by a IN THE TERRITORIES OF VALLE D’AOSTA (Valtournenche), Covalou (Antey-Saint- group of eight photographers. They IN THE LAST FORTY YEARS. André), Châtillon and many others, up have worked together to produce a to the power plant of Grand Vert in the documentation useful for a collective town of Donnas. reflection on the transformations Photography provides a visual occurred in the last forty years in the documentation; it can even go further A spectacular building expansion territories of these municipalities. A huge and extended area, extremely and research beyond the limits of a and the construction of important diverse, both in morphological and pure description of the reality, because infrastructures, including the large typological terms, and for the altimetric it observes the socio-economic changes asphalt strip of the highway connecting and vocational differences. and the territorial dynamics, trying to Quincinetto to Aosta, and the many Two days were entirely devoted to the encourage a reflection of the current roads that have made accessible the sites’ visits with local public officers, trends. small villages and high mountain experts and economic operators, but The regional context of Valle pastures, which all date back only to a also farmers, breeders and ordinary d’Aosta seemed particularly appropriate few decades ago. citizens. The photographers were for this experimental investigation due Not only that, the ’80s have also welcomed and guided to the discovery of to its peculiar identity: a territory of witnessed a great acceleration in the places. In the days that followed, the great attractivity, rich in architectural, the development of the large winter group has made its way throughout the cultural and landscape resources, yet districts, as the well-known ski-resort of Valley: on foot along paths and tracks, extremely fragile and exposed to an Cervinia but also the touristic offer in by car, by cable car, with local shuttles, extraordinary metamorphosis. the small towns of Valtournenche and up and down the slopes, individually or A territory that has been periodically Torgnon. paired off.

3 The photographic research has looked transformed into second homes. Second for electric connections, protection at this extensive territory adopting a homes for locals, second homes for nets). The mountain is marked by an comprehensive approach, being aware of travelers. Buildings often closed and infinite series of paths, connections, its complexity, and has been framed by silent show the faces of a landscape signs, stripes, bands and cuts. They are the following three major themes: made of contrasts and contradictions, the works of excavation and remodeling both functional and material. of the ground. They are the driveways 1/ The phenomenon of the second The urbanization process of the ‘70s to the mountain pastures and the slopes homes, territorial marks and and ‘90s has in fact produced new for downhill, the latest generation of communities building expansions (with colors and rock climbing on two wheels. 2/ Living in the mountains, a forms extraneous to the environment) reflection on the places. Paths across which have absorbed the old historical It is an unconscious look, the one that space and time centers (where local materials and sees “wilderness” in the mountain of 3/ Mechanization and artificial organic shapes have made them today, tells us Paolo Cognetti, when we landscapes. smoothly integrated with the landscape). met him in preparation of the workshop. By contrast, the new developments This is a mountain that has been shaped The participants’ work was supervised stand out for their urban character by the human being: terraces have been by the photographers of Urban Reports and are mostly born to satisfy the built and made productive; pierced, and by the curator, both during the touristic demand. More than 40% of made flat and remodelled to make visits and the photographic campaign. the housing units in Valle d ‘Aosta roads and tunnels, and farmed to make The workshop also provided a time for consist of second homes. Cervinia is woods. The landscape is a man-made selection, revision and discussion of the an emblematic case; here the urban landscape, which is equipped to allow photographic material during review dimension takes on forms which are the development of winter and summer sessions led by the curator Giorgio rather grotesque: oversized, it becomes sports, to keep pace with innovation, to Barrera. gigantism associated with estrangement meet the demands of tourism, to seek in a conflictual and jarring relationship continuously the adaptation to climate The result is an impressive work. between built and quality of the change. What has emerged is a careful and landscape. multifaceted look at the landscape and The apotheosis of the artificial the contemporary society of this section When talking about the Alpine region, landscape is the basin of Cervinia: the of the region. The goal of photography we should also consider its economic territory, from Breuil to the glacier of is to unveil the reality, Antonio De and productive dimension. The Plateau Rosà (at 3500m above sea level) Rossi reminds us, and this intense mountain must be thought of as an is a multitude of roads, tracks, (and week of work on the sites has allowed organic entity, a socio-economic and national borders!) crossed by trucks, to deconstruct some common senses cultural space. Therefor, it cannot be excavators, vans and off-road vehicles. and then portray a series of issues overwhelmed by the urban idea of The traffic is uninterrupted: in the and themes questioning the official the Alps as the “Amusement Park of summer, men and women who work at imaginary about the Alps and the Europe”, a place of loisir and of mass- the lodges, take care of the management mountains. consumption; on the opposite, it cannot and maintenance of the equipment. In be trapped into the iconic image of the winter, is the turn of the snow- This is a Valley made of “heroic itself. groomers which flatten the snow and agriculture”, of terracing, stone walls maintain the ski runs and watch after and vineyards that climb along the steep Along with this thinking, the the safety on the slopes. slopes. A territory that requires constant photographic work has explored the care, a skillful hand. Municipalities role of the local economy, highlighting From the 80s until today, the glacier have irregular borders and are formed the value of the resources already has seen its thickness reduced by by countless small villages, lying on in place. On one side the industrial thirty meters, forcing the construction the plains and distributed along the dimension, but also the local breeding of new cable plants, determining the mountain sides. From one village to the and agriculture which both allow abandonment of the existing mechanical other, the difference in altitude often living the mountain throughout the systems such as cable cars, tunnels and exceeds the 1000 meters. And in some four seasons. In the lower valley with pylons which remain suspended in time cases, small realities have been reached vineyards, orchards and vegetable and space, in a stretch of glares and by the first road only in the 80s (as gardens; over the 1500m above the sea dark rocks. By the end of September occurred in the village of Herin, in the level, with barley and rye productions (2018), a new cable car will connect municipality of Antey-Saint-André). and then, over the 2000m, with the the Italian side with Switzerland. The high mountain pastures and the fontina- building site is almost completed, and A territory between past and present: cheese productions. A path upward, the forecasts talk about a 1 million an existing building heritage which starting in May, and moving up “after visitors expected to visit the glacier from has lost its original functions (maison, the ‘grass’, until the end of September, next year. granier, rascard); a tourism-led policy at the time of the desarpa. framework which has transformed most Trying to build a new narrative for of the volumes available into residential Beyond the 2000 meters, the woods this contemporary landscape, the and touristic accommodations. Hence, end and the panorama embraces the photographic work has put together the rascard and the granier have become pastures, the ski runs’ wide tracks useful elements for nourishing a houses for rentals and some buildings, and the artificial snow-maker systems reflection on how to look at the which were schools many decades ago, (cannons, water collection basins, poles reality, as it appears today.

4 Witnessing the radical change that of the uses throughout the times, says general. A work that makes reconsider has shaken these territories, the Mauro Cortelazzo, archaeologist. In the future of these territories, a future photographic research highlights a this workshop, photography has been that it is not only and purely linked to landscape that is the product of the used as a tool, as a work of unveiling, a that of the cities. autonomist policies of the recent layer of analysis for reaching a greater To conclude, a workshop that has decades. awareness of the space, underlines allowed to dismantle, recompose and Luciano Bonetti, representing the give new meanings to the landscapes In general, a policy that has allowed Register of the Architects of Valle but also has given the chance to the huge infrastructural interventions d’Aosta. An instrument to open up to photographers to get closer to places which have been able to keep a new perspectives offering different looks and situations unexpected. significant portion of the population on evolving landscapes. in the valleys, through the creation of roads and connections far above the A work on the historical memory that 1500m, have allowed the retrofitting of can help to compare what has been THE OUTCOMES many mountain pastures, have invested the past and what could be the future The results of the workshop were heavily on ski plants’ innovation, by creating a relation, is the opinion presented during a public event on attractiveness and tourism, yet has of Oscar Torretta, Anthropologist. Sunday September 2nd which took produced a completely new landscape. place at the Saint-Vincent Municipal And this is what this photographic Convention Center. A stereotypical landscape born from the research is about: given a thematic desire to build a new regional identity track, a framework of reference for the The event saw the participation of the and meant to be “typically local”. photographers, we have been working municipalities involved and was an However, what happens today is that together to create a collective narrative, opportunity for a public debate that “due to a more demanding tourism and which was able to see, interpret and brought together experts from different a raising climate question”, this imagery represent this small section of our disciplines including: the archaeologist has begun to show the rope” says Antoni contemporary world. Mauro Cortelazzo, the anthropologist De Rossi, “urging a reflection on the Oscar Torretta, the architect Luciano landscape that is about to come”. A story that wants to propose a new Bonetti and Antonio De Rossi, imaginary for the Alps, suggesting how architect, professor of architecture Is there a future project today? much it is necessary a multidisciplinary and urban design and director of Photography is central for asking these and integrated reflection on the the Research Institute for Alpine questions. It shows us the backstage territories of the mountains, the Alps, Architecture, at the Politecnico di of the landscape, unveiling the traces the Apennines and the internal areas in Torino.

5 foot or by cable car. In the municipality anthropologist and writer), Luciano THE PROCESS of La Magdeleine, the architect Zoppo (owner of Piantagrossa), Maria Mauro Duroux has illustrated the Vassallo (founder of the Association The multi-actor and multidisciplinary urban planning tools that allowed to Poetica del Territorio), Michelangelo dimension of this workshop started preserve the historical features of the Di Gioia (geologist), Carlo from the construction of a network of five villages, proposing a reflection Navillod (architect), Nevio territorial actors for the definition of the on the theme of the second homes Gelmini (entrepreneur of themes of interest. and the future development of the Donnas), Paolo Noz (Coldiretti community. In Valtournenche, in Valle d’Aosta), Rambo (breeder At the core of the local network, particular in the locality of Cervinia, and ski lift operator), Teresa the Association Poetica del Stefano Gorret, municipal council Charles (historian), Enrico Averoldi Territorio that was born in Châtillon member led us to understand the (Power Plant, Grand Vert, Donnas). and during a decade has being working physical transformation of the glacier with schools and municipalities to in relation to the complex aspects carry out editorial projects focused on of maintenance of a cross-border WHO MADE territorial development. The active infrastructure system: a landscape, THIS INITIATIVE participation of the local communities which is extremely fragile and heavily has made possible to highlight the modified requiring investment, POSSIBLE landscape, the historical-environmental, innovation and a place-specific the economic and cultural richness of attention. The workshop was designed and each place. realized by Urban Reports together This set of voices, knowledge and skills, with the Association Poetica del Among the actors involved, the allowed photographers to get closer to Territorio and Giorgio Barrera, librarians Fulvio Vergnani and the places with greater awareness and photographer and curator. Maria Rosa Vivaldo of the Library of provided elements and ideas for the Donnas who provided materials and photographic narrative. The Photographers who have ideas for reflection on the themes of the contributed to this work: industrial heritage and the productive Preliminary to the realization of the dimension of this small community workshop, Urban Reports carried out Francesca Alti of 2500 inhabitants at the gate of the visits on the sites, running interviews Giorgio Barrera region. The Council member Cristina with local representatives, economic and Davide Curatola Soprana (Urban Sanna from Antey-Saint-André has cultural actors of the territory with the Reports) involved local competences (a local aim of collecting records and fragments Alessandro Guida (Urban Reports) architect and a geologist), to enable of stories from the Valley. Valter Iannetti us to understand the dynamics of Maria Gabriella Porta transformation and recovery of the We thank them all for their time and for Isabella Sassi Farias (Urban Reports) territory. In Torgnon, the deputy sharing with us a piece of this journey Franco Zanin mayor and architect Valeria Machet, exploring the contemporary landscape has accompanied us on a journey of Valle d’Aosta: This workshop has been realized with through the urban development of the the support of the Library of Donnas municipality and the development of the Paolo Cognetti (writer), Claudio and the Municipalities of Antey-Saint- winter/summer sport infrastructures, Planaz (breeder), Ezio André, Torgnon, La Magdeleine, while in Chamois, the council members Chappoz (Chappoz confectionery Chamois, Valtournenche and Saint- Laura Lanterna and Mario Pucci, have company), Gabriella Joyeusaz, Vincent with the collaboration of introduced us to the living dimension known as Anna (resident of La Ordine degli Architetti della Valle of a municipality only accessible on Magdeleine), Irene Borgna (mountain d’Aosta.

[...] IT IS NECESSARY TO ADOPT A NEW LOOK AND A RENEWED ATTENTION TO WHAT IS AROUND US. IN ORDER TO CATCH THE UNSPOKEN HIDDEN BY THE ORDINARY ANTONIO DE ROSSI

6 photographic campaign editing by GIORGIO BARRERA

Photographers

Francesca Alti Giorgio Barrera Davide Curatola Soprana Alessandro Guida Valter Iannetti Maria Gabriella Porta Isabella Sassi Farías Franco Zanin