Panem et Circenses
- Location Rome, Italy
- Client MAXXI Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo
- Year 2015
- Status Competition
- Program Cultural
- Authors Giacomo Cantoni
Pietro Pagliaro
- Team Tim Bacheller
Martina Barcelloni Corte
Matteo Biasiolo
Cecilia Tramontano
Panem et Circenses intends to tackle the theme of production, consumption and disposal of food, starting from the ever closer relations that are today forming between agriculture and the city.
Given the forecasted growth of the world urban population increasing to six billion by 2045 and the constant increase of world agricultural production, it in fact seems inevitable that new and strong alliances are being formed between the rural and the urban environment over vast territorial systems.
Panem et Circenses intends to investigate these alliances spatially under the conviction that, while producing deep conflict, they can represent a surprising potential for the construction of an innovative and radical city project.
Imagining agriculture as a park will be the objective of the installation.
Maxxi’s open space, entirely invaded by an extensive rice crop, becomes an experimental field in which urban practices, marked only by the agricultural material, offer the public totally unexpected spatial types.
Entrenched paths, glades, shady areas, like voids carved out of a dense expanse of high sheaves, create unusual spaces capable of welcoming and at the same time, of disorientating the visitor.
A series of practices such as dance, theatre, open-air lessons, readings, and projections turn the great body of sheaves into agricultural stage-curtains that by way of light roofing, stages and broad seats offer to the public-cum-audience Panem et Circenses.
