M.I.A.

The video that is going to be used for the M.I.A. installation has been completed. It is a short 30 second clip of an angel statue as it slowly deteriorates. The video was made by fading in and out pictures of the statue from 1930, 1979, 2000, and 2007. In order to include an ARG puzzle, an extra picture was added into the video as a clue.

Missing In Art from Postmodern Postmortem on Vimeo.

This will be projected onto the actual angel that is still in the city, though in a very worn down state. When a person walks by the movie will play to the end and then stop.

Wake-Up (Canal Damage)

The original concept for wake-up was to find a place where canal damage was present and project a circle around it and a message saying how much it would cost to fix. Well, we've kept the circle and message pieces but instead have decided to project the damage, as well, on the canal wall. This gives us a lot more freedom when choosing a location for the installation and also makes it easier to find one that the projector will work with. A video of our concept is shown below. What we did was take a picture of pre-existing canal damage and use powerpoint to modify it with text an animations.

The Brodo Bowl

So after a few failed attempts to obtain the original drawings for the Brodo di Pesce bowl we decided to go ahead and design our own. The program we used for the design was autocad 2010. We started off by designing a 3D model of a standard bowl just to get the size restrictions for the model of Venice that was to be placed inside. After the bowl was completed a map of Venice was then traced over with lines and smoothed out to create an extrudable outline of the city. Now, since not every section of Venice is not at the same elevation we went by eye off the original model, made by Nicholas De Monchaux, and estimated which sections were at similar heights and gave those sections a matching number. We decided to use four different elevations and each section was extruded to the height corresponding to it's number. Some filleting was then done to give the model a sleaker look and then it was placed within, and bonded to, the bowl. As of now we only have the drawing completed but we plan on sending it to either shapeways or ponoko to have an actual 3D model produced. Below is a picture with a few views of the designed bowl.



Here is a short animation of the bowl going from full to empty, thus slowly revealing the city of Venice at the bottom.

Brodo di Pesce from Postmodern Postmortem on Vimeo.

Storefronts and the Shadows

We have developed a small prototype of "storefronts" in which we had 2 people acting behind a tall white canvas with a light shining behind. This illusion is used to demonstrate the regular "goings-on" of a store-front, or what it used to do before it was closed. We hoped to make this store that is closed look alive once again with bustling activity and customers.

enjoy the clip( we plan to display this clip on a projector onto a closed storefront)

Scents and Sensibility

Here is a brief prototype of Scents and Sensibility

a look inside:



the entire contraption:



A brief demo:

A touchy Bubbler

After weeks of intense research and tears, a bubble machine was born...but not just any bubble machine! It's a touch activated bubble machine, that will turn on at the tap of a finger!

hard to believe, yes! Impossible? Never!

here is a picture of the works, using arduino and some brain power!





click here for code

Pressure Sensor

After scouring for a capacitance sensor, i stumbled upon this arduino forum and built a sensor that is sensitive to touch. I experimented using an aluminum foil, breadboard, 3 wires, one IR light, and 1K resistor.

arduino




and breadboard



using code from the forum website mentioned above

and the result is dynamic!!

LED sensor

This is an infrared sensor that will be used as a prototype for bubbletto. The setup and code can be seen here.

a demo on the awesomnesssssss

And Now we build

After receiving the lovely arduinos , we rolled up our sleeves and started building some.

The progress is coming along swimmingly, and as of now, are working on making a sound system arduino with a wave-shield and setup and an infrared sensor to act as a trigger for the projector (pico 2) to turn on.

Houston, we have Reached our Destination!

After battling with failing internet for a couple of days, our wireless internet has finally kicked in and decided to grace us with its presence and internet connectivity! So we are now ready to go and start putting all these installations into action!!

more details to come later!!

And we have a Proposal!

We have attached a link in our Documents of Awesome of our Proposal for A term (for those of you who are not WPI saavy)
Here we have stated the issues needed to be addressed, how we are going to be approaching each one with design and methodology, and a budget to get all the materials.

Enjoy!

proposal

Accelerometer with Arduino update

this is perfect to determine how to set up the accelerometer with the arduino for Bubbletto!

and Presenting, CHOCOLATE LEO!

the day has finally dawned for chocolate lovers everywhere! As mentioned for the chocolate leo post, i put the idea into fruition, producing quite a delicious hunk of chocolatey goodness in lion form.

here are the steps:

firstly, I made a clay sculpture of the lion using Sculpey and then baked it for 15 minutes.


then after cooling, the mold is ready to be made. Using Amazing Mold Putty , I spread the putty over the lion face making sure to avoid spreading the putty too thinly and covering every inch of the thing.


after letting the putty cure for 20 minutes, the mold should hold its own and easily have taken the shape of the lion face.


Now melt some chocolate and pour it into the mold (BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERSPILL) and let sit for about 20 minutes in the fridge


Now once you remove the mold, you have a chocolate lion!!!

Bubbletto Brainstorm

I have been going on the Arduino forums and chatting with some very generous people on what to do about bubbletto see post . After some throwing of ideas, here are some that have come up that are really awesome

this is the actual forum discussion thread:

thread

and a picture someone was kind enough to draw up for me:


one was using a "bobber" concept...that is have a bob float on the water near the canal wall which is attached to the sensor output (very much like the wii wiimote technology ).The sensor output will then signal the bubble machine to turn on.

here is a rough design i came up with:



Another idea is to use the concept on infared lights. Shining the light a horizontal point to the water surface, whenever there are huge waves, the infared light will be cut off, thus triggering the bubble machine to turn on.

Postmodern Postmortem Team: Billy

Name: William Early
DOB: December 19, 1988

About Me: I am currently a junior at WPI majoring in Interactive Media and Game Development. I usually get a few stares when I say that, but basically it means making 3D art and animations for games or movies. I love to draw and create, both traditionally with pencil and paper, and also digitally with many different programs. I'm really looking forward to Venice and seeing how this project unfolds.

Chocolate Leo

On a brainstorming spurge, how about instead of waffles or in addition to waffles making chocolate shaped/formed lions! The mold is relatively easy to make, and everyone always loves chocolate!!

chocolate molds

chocolate molds 2

vacuum molds

Postmodern Postmortem Team: Lisa

Name: Lisa Rossi

About me: I am a Junior at Worcester Polytechnic Institute majoring in Psychological Science. I was drawn toward the Postmodern Postmortem project by my ardent appreciation for all types of art and my belief in the beneficial effects that art can have on its viewers/listeners. Music is more important to me than I can even express in words. I play guitar, dabble on drums (well, "dabble" might even be an overstatement), as well as compose synthesized music on my computer. I love writing songs, lyrics, and poetry, and I'm constantly in the process of creating something. I hope to benefit the project group with whatever creativity and passion I can bring to the table, and ultimately benefit the city of Venice.

Postmodern Postmortem Team: Amanda

Name: Amanda Rinaldi
DOB: November 22, 1988
Mission: to make the world awesome in every single way!

About me: Born in Montreal, Canada and moved to Massachusetts in 1997, I constantly was surrounded by a changing world, a world that presented so many wonderful opportunities to make a difference. My calling to that was Mechanical Engineering. I like to consider myself one of many hidden talents! I love to invent things, and to see how something works. I love creating...whether it be painting, drawing, singing, dancing, improv, inventing, or doing this IQP project! I am a huge musical buff....and i love getting caught up in the songs of so many ingenious productions!Yet, i love the simple things in life, like sitting outside and just...well...relaxing and take in the beauty that is nature! and that's my cue to get back to work!

Postmodern Postmortem Team: Dan

Name: Daniel Savastano
D.O.B: 06/09/1989

About Me: Born and raised in Salem, NH I am now a Junior Mechanical Engineering major at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. I LOVE music and play both the guitar and drums, and even sing a little! I love writing songs and stories! To me going fishing is one of the most amazing and relaxing things in the world! I love being on boats! I also enjoy playing baseball and am a HUGE RedSox fan! Well that's about it so adios...I mean ciao!

Our L.A.S.E.R. Test Experiment

Here is what happens when you combine a projector, a camera, a macbook pro, a flashlight, and a wee bit of coding!

L.A.S.E.R. Tag Experiment 2 from Amanda Rinaldi on Vimeo.

L.A.S.E.R. Tag Experiment 3 from Amanda Rinaldi on Vimeo.

L.A.S.E.R. Tag Experiment 4 from Amanda Rinaldi on Vimeo.

L.A.S.E.R. Tag Experiment 5 from Amanda Rinaldi on Vimeo.

Sewerround Sound

Addresses: Lack of proper sanitation in Venice.

Solution: Play music that is controlled by the sounds of the sewer. A microphone can be set up in the sewer outlet to intake its sounds, resulting in music that is activated by what is heard in the sewer. The microphone will act as an audio sensor and trigger the playback of music from speakers in the street. As mentioned for other installations, we could use directional speakers as well as Sunspots or Arduino to wirelessly control the device.

Scents and Sensibility

Addresses: People leave garbage out in spite of city regulations and causes the streets to smell.

Solution: Spray perfume whenever a bag of trash is left out in the street. Some type of pressure sensor could be implemented to indicate the pressense of trash, or perhaps a motion detector or ultrasonic rangefinder. The most suitable type of sensor depends on the location, for instance if it is in a location with high or low activity. Some issues still remain, such as making sure that what has been placed on the sensor is actually trash as opposed to other items or people, and making the sensor discreet enough that it can't be consciously avoided. A device similar to the "Sense and Spray" introduced by Glade could be developed, so that when motion is detected, a squirt of perfume is released. Another idea is to create a device similar to the automatic dispensers that can be found in public bathrooms. I have come across a fairly cheap ultrasonic range finder, as well as a DIY range finder. This site shows how to build a range finder with an arduino board.

The Toll

Addresses: The demographic decline of Venice. Venice's population is declining because there are more deaths than births, as the average age is 50 and the youth population is waning.

Solution: Play a designated sound to represent a birth, and another to represent a death. Any mp3 clip or recorded sound can be used for the toll sounds, such as bells, baby sounds, etc. We can use directional speakers to aim the sound toward a specific location to create an "on and off" effect as people walk past the location, and this would also avoid disturbing others with a constant barrage of sound.

Data for the birth and death count will be sent to the speakers from an outside source and will control the output of our speakers. Either Sunspots or Arduino could be used to program and wirelessly control the device based on incoming data.

Storefronts

Addresses: This installation deals with the dwindling number of thriving shops and stores in the Venetian marketplace. As more and more residents leave the city, the small stores that used to depend on the local support have slowly but surely began to close up. All that is left behind are the decaying storefronts that serve as a reminder of what Venice once looked like.

Solution: The idea for Storefronts is to show what these small shops were like before they closed down. A projector would display the image of silhouettes moving on the inside of the windows, which would have a screen put in for this purpose. The display could either be activated by pedestrians walking by the store, or it could be on at all times. A device that could detect the presence of a person would be required in this scenario, while only a projector would be necessary in the other. This display would engage the sense of sight, with a once dead store coming to life right before people’s eyes.

X-Ray

Addresses: The city of Venice has 473 bridges that cross the city, providing not only a means of transportation for pedestrians, but also a hidden maze of vital pipes and wires that keep the city running. Many people, residents and tourists alike, are unaware of the secret importance of the bridges that they use every day.


Solution: The idea behind X-Ray is to use a projector to cast the image of pipes and wires and all the inner workings of the bridge onto the bridge so that everyone can see it. The projector would be set up out of the way of the boats, but so that the image could be seen on the underside of the bridge. The image could either be turned on at all times or could activate when a boat goes underneath. This image will show what is going on inside the bridges as people walk on top of them and just how important they really are.

Brodo di Pesce

Addresses: Perhaps the most significant issue in Venice at the moment is acqua alta and the rising of the sea level. Acqua alta is what the locals call the exceptionally high tides that flood most of the city for hours at time. These floods are partly due to the rising of the sea level which increases by an average of 3 mm per year. Acqua alta not only disturbs everyday life but also causes corrosion to the overall structure of Venice.

Solution: The idea of Brodo di Pesce focuses around eating a bowl of soup and essentially watching the sea level decline as you continue to eat. As the level of soup gets lower it will begin to reveal either a drawing on the inside of the bowl or maybe even a sculpture that is built into the bottom of the bowl. Drawing or sculpture will most likely be an outline of Venice. We will be attempting to find a company that will produce a few prototypes for us as to get an idea of what we would like for the final design. These special bowls will only be available in certain resaurants in Venice, to be determined, and can only be ordered by request with a certain word or phrase, also to be determined.

Scratchitti

Adresses: Location specific issues in Venice. This has been left open as to be used for any issue.

Solution: This will use soundbombs to highlight sight specific issues in Venice. The soundbombs will direct a sound, or voice, that will either alert people when an issue is occuring or explain to them what the issue is and why it is an issue. In addition to the soundbombs a projector presentation could be added to really enhance the effect that it has on the public. The presentation could include a video of the issue or a collection of "killer graphics" demonstrating the issue and how to solve it, or a combination of both.

M.I.A.

Adresses: The disappearance, vandalism, and removal of public art in Venice.

Solution: Use a projector to project an image of the piece of public art that has gone missing onto the exact spot where it once stood. Projector will have a light sensor so that it turns on only when it is dark enough to see the picture. The projector will also display pictures of other pieces of missing public art at random time intervals throughout the night. All projectors will have a protective casing around them so they are not damage by weather or the public. The cases will have to be made of a material that is water resistant and that the projector can project through.

Hopefully this will help us locate some of the missing art works and, or motivate the city to replace or repair missing or damaged pieces.

Spray it Forward

Addresses: youth problems and tagging around the city.

solution: a projector and infrared motion sensor that will project an image being made. Basically will look like graffiti on the wall. Basically using a wii remote (which contains an infared motion sensor)remote price and connecting it to a projector and projecting the image on a wall, the person can then fully draw on the wall (contact) with the LED pen. (keep in mind the LED pen must be in clear view of the wii remote. You can learn more on this site which also contains really awesome videos Wii projector

Or rather going down a more expensive route, instead of an LED pen, a laser pen would be sufficient, as well as a set of code to make this all happen! Like these guys for L.A.S.E.R Tag L.A.S.E.R. This wicked cool idea is perfect for the project. Displaying cool lighting and great optics, this will definetly attract the attention of the crowd, especially the younger generation.

Bubbletto

Addresses: Turbulence caused by the vaporetto. With the dawn of motor boats , there was a new issue to deal with: boat wakes or Moto Ondoso moto ondoso which served to erode the canal walls of Venice. Over the years, lots of money has been dished out to help upkeep the walls so as to avoid collapse and causing further damage to the buildings and homes.

Solution:
Install arduino sensor arduino circuit that will detect the turbulence of the water, which will send a signal to another arduino sensor attached to a bubble machine that will go offbubble machine to turn on and shoot bubbles on the streets. A good plan would be to preorder the bubble machine and figure out how to sync the sensor to the machine so as to turn it on. This can be done using the Xbee wireless device which will serve to communicate signals from one place to another. Xbee

Toasted (Waffle) Lion: Leggo my Leo

Originally the idea was to make an "exploited" image of the famous Winged Lion of St. Mark using toast. However such a method was very difficult, since the picture itself was non-distinguishable. So, another food option was taken: Waffles. There are many many awesome waffle designs that are easy to see and fun to eat! waffle shapes. A perfect combination for this project.

waffle iron prices:prices (people contacted)

The actual schematics of the waffle maker are displayed here:schematics

Graffiti

Almost all major cities around the world have to deal with the urban issue of graffiti. Urban artists run around and spray paint their work onto whatever surface they want to. This can be stores, buildings, bridges, and overpasses. Venice also has to deal with a graffiti problem. Many of the city's famous and historic buildings have had urban art painted on them. The city of Venice is asking for people to please stop spraying on the buildings as it is an eye-sore as well as costly to remove. The city can no longer afford the cost associated with cleaning up the city.

Source

Example Pictures

Sewage

The city of Venice is very unique with its complex system of canals as opposed to roads and highways of most other cities around the world. These canals however are not just used for transportation. Venice does not have a true sewage system, and thus the canals themselves are being used to carry the waste out of the city and into the lagoon. This has caused a problem with pollution and elevated levels of pathogens. According to the article, "Venice canal samples were often contaminated with high levels of both HAV and enteroviral genomes, reflecting the high degree of sewage contamination of these waters". Because of Venice's unique structure, setting up a modern sewage system is not a feasible idea, and this issue must be brought to the attention of everyone to possibly find a solution.

Source

Turbulence

Being a city built on a lagoon, transportation is mainly limited to boating or walking. As gondolas became outdated and more of a novelty, Venice began to rely heavily on motorized waterbuses called "vaporetti." These waterbuses remain the primary method of transportation for the 271,000 residents and nearly seven million tourists venturing to Venice yearly. The main issue is that the means these motorboats use to stop is to propel in reverse, which creates a massive amount of energy in the water that barrages on the canal walls. Not to mention the use of the canals for transporting goods and for other public services, the resulting damage is becoming exponentially worse. As the city is divided by islands, there is no other method of transportation except by water, and thus the motorboats continue to bombard the canal walls with its waves. Though the effect of the turbulence of each individual boat is practically negligible, the sheer number of passing boats creates a vicious effect over time.

The article "Mapping Turbulent Discharges in Venetian Canals" can be found here and in our Google Docs archive.

The Hidden Skeleton of Venice

As the islands of Venice are separated by numerous canals, bridges are necessary to facilitate a means of walking to and from islands. These 473 bridges form the background of inter-island pedestrian transportation and are an integral aspect of Venice as a whole, as the main methods of transportation within Venice are either by boat or by foot. Other than serving as a pathway between islands, bridges are also used to carry pipes which house important utilities such as electricity, telephone lines, water, and gas. Another example of hidden infrastructure in Venice is the sewage disposal system, which in the past have consisted of brick settling tanks beneath houses that piped out of the canal walls. Gradually, more modern methods of septic disposal have been implemented in homes, but problems persist as many residents still do not understand exactly how these systems work.

Demographic Decline of Venice

An ever growing problem in Venice within the past century has been its steady population decline. Between the years of 1966 and 2006, the population had dropped from 121,000 full-time residents to a mere 62,000. This number decreases by 800 people every year, and this rate of decline is only expected to grow due to the fact that 25% of Venice's population is over 64 years old. Both tourism and flooding have been held responsible for the shrinking population. More and more residents are turning out to be only part-time foreign residents, for instance, those who own summer houses in Venice. To accommodate tourism, more temporary lodging had to be built, resulting in the conversion of large houses into hotels. This ends up having a cyclic effect, since as permanent residences wither away, there becomes less accommodations for new permanent residents to settle. Also, the damage incurred during the flood of 1966 destroyed the ground levels of about 16,000 buildings and residents fled from these homes. Afterward, the presence of strict building codes made it nearly impossible to reconstruct these houses. As long as these problems persist, as they most likely will for the foreseeable future, finding a solution to reverse the demographic decline of Venice will prove to be an obstinate task.

click here for source

Tourism and Venice

Many old famous cities around the world have to deal with their popularity and the flocks of people that gravitate towards their rich history and beautiful sights. Venice is no exception, with around 7 million people coming to visit the city each year. This great influx of tourists is both a driving economic force as well as a problem. Since Venice is becoming a tourist centered city, the residents of the area are being pushed farther and farther away. Some statistics indicate that in 50 years the population of the historic district has gone from 170,000 to 70,000. Also, overnight visitors to the city outnumber the residents by 50 to 1. These stats are only getting worse as more and more people want to travel to the beautiful city of Venice.

Source

Postmodern?

So what does the term postmodern actually stand for? What does it represent? The definition given to postmodernism in the American Heritage Dictionary describes the term as "Of or relating to art, architecture, or literature that reacts against earlier modernist principles, as by reintroducing traditional or classical elements of style or by carrying modernist styles or practices to extremes." So now how does this relate to our project? Well, the postmodernist movement began with architecture as a reactionary movement opposing the modern movement. Modern architecture was focused on "the pursuit of ideal perfection, harmony of form and function, and dismissal of frivolous ornament," and critics questioned the benefits of it's philosophy. Postmodern architecture rejects the notion of a "pure" form and gains inspiration from all methods, materials, forms, and colors available to the architects. While some our project may include architectural aspects the majority has to do with postmodern art. Postmodern art includes movements such as intermedia, multimedia, conceptual art, and installation art, which usually involve some sort of video. Installation art, which will be the focus of our project, uses devices of art to convey specific messages and create environmental effects, and often times contains moving parts and lights.

Source 1
Source 2

Acqua Alta and The Rising of The Tides

Throughout it's history the city of Venice has seen its share of environmental changes, but none pose a greater threat to the preservation of the city than what the locals refer to as acqua alta. Acqua alta is the name given to an exceptionally high tide that floods all but the most elevated parts of the city for several hours at a time. The most recent, significant, occurrence of this phenomenon, which most often takes place between the fall and spring, occurred on December 1, 2008 when it was documented that 156 cm of water flooded the city streets. Not only is this a disturbance to everyday life, but more importantly it is a direct threat to the overall structure of the city. When the bricks in an old wall are exposed to sea water they absorb the salt which, as it accumulates, hastens their decay. Both the frequency of acqua alta and the height reached by the tides have increased over the past 30 years due to the slow rising of sea levels and sinking of the land surface of Venice. It is believed that the sea level rises by an average of 3 mm per year according to a 100 year study conducted at the tide gauge station known as the Punta della Salute. This study concluded that from 1897-1997 the sea level rose by a total of 30 cm, which gives an average of 3 mm per year. As a natural occurrence the sea levels will continue to rise thus resulting in more frequent and severe cases of acqua alta as well as more severe and hastened deterioration to the foundations of the city. This is most certainly an issue that cannot be overlooked for much longer.

Source

Illegal Dumping

The Municipal Hygiene Regulation for the Municipality of Venice allows for the abandonment of garbage strictly between the hours of 6am and 8am, Monday through Saturday. During that time frame residents and businesses are permitted to dispose of their trash either directly outside of their door or in a place that will cause the smallest inconvienience to pedestrian and cargo traffic. Despite these regulations the city of Venice continues to experience a significant amount of illegal dumping. While most of the illegal dumping takes place and is dealt with overnight, the exclusion of Sunday as a collection day allows for some garbage to be left outside for an additional day. This illegal dumping causes an unpleasant odor to fill the streets of Venice and is, to say the least, not very aesthetically pleasing. A recent study was done by a team of students from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute on the rate of illegal dumping observed particularly on the island of San Lio. Over the span of a week it was found that the total waste generated on the island was 191,700 liters, of which 19,970 was dumped illegally. Meaning that almost ten-percent of the waste was illegally disposed of. It was estimated that if the 10-percent fihure holds across the entire Historical Center, the volume of waste dumped illegally over a year would fill up Piazalle San Marco to a depth of over four meters. This is a significant issue that must be addressed in order to preserve the overall cleanliness of Venice.

Source

Public Art Preservation: Issue 3

Public Art is a decorative and artistic element, usually existing in many forms and can be found in various locations that can be viewed in public areas. Public art not only serves to please the eye, but also helps define the history of a society through sculptures, murals, monuments, and various other forms of display, and exists for everyone to experience. Each art piece contributes to the beauty of Venice and to its huge art collection, and should be considered very important. With over 4,230 pieces of public art in land area of 7.6 square kilometers, the prominence of the public art plays a huge role in the creation of the historic atmosphere of Venice. However due to no form of maintenance, public art has deteriorated and could lose its historical and cultural value. Also, Venetian public art runs the risk of being vandalized, stolen, or removed for renovations to the buildings, and not replaced. With the natural atmosphere of Venice including moist, salty air and other weather conditions such as flooding vastly contributes to the deterioration. Over the past years, WPI students completed the catalog of lunette and portal and the Venice Project Center has a completed catalog of nearly all types of public art with similar entry styles, including wellheads, flagstaffs, keystones, and other various types of external sculpture. The problem of preservation of public art needs to be addressed to the people, so that the historical integrity of Venice can be maintained.

click here for source

Moto Ondoso: Issue 2

After World War II, motorboats replaced rowboats as a faster and more efficient means of transporting people, goods, and waste in the Venetian canals. However, the powerful motors of the new boats introduced a new problem to Venice, moto ondoso. The canal walls were designed and built long before the motor boat’s introduction, and was thus not properly equipped to deal with the constant force of the boat wakes; thus, the walls began to slowly deteriorate over time and fall apart. This issue is not only connected to the canal walls but also to buildings, since canal walls serve as the foundations to the buildings of the city, both residential and business. Therefore, this problem is not only corrosive, but also very dangerous, causing destruction and chaos. As a boat moves through the water, it creates underwater turbulence that is caused by the spinning propellers. Wake is the portion of the turbulence that is seen on the surface of the water. The wake and turbulence combine to impact the canal walls, weakening and eroding them, calling for constant repair, coming from taxpayers, which increases the cost of living in Venice.

Moto ondoso can be aggravated further by clogged sewer outlets, boat collisions, and biological and chemical agents such as sulfuric acid, pollution, and algae, which thus increase the rate of canal wall erosion. The Venetian dependence on the canals is vital; not only do the canals transport people and goods, but they also play a major role in the waste disposal system of Venice. The canals divide Venice into more than 100 islands, all of which need to be accessible by boat such as garbage collection and ambulances. Also, since Venice’s economy is dependent on tourism, the use of the canals for sightseeing and tourist transportation is essential. This along with the large number of boats and inefficient motion of various boats causes congestion. Although there are many measures to help reduce this issue, this is still an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed.

click here for source

Urban Decay in Venice: Issue 1

There is an issue…one that is vicious and caught in a deadly circle of occurrence. Cities falling into a state of disarray resulting in abandoned and run-down buildings and stores. Fueled by the complex mix of social, economic and political dynamics, there is a huge exodus of inhabitants and capital leaving the city, producing devastating effects on the infrastructure, economy and society. A cause for this is a lack of sufficient basic supplies stores in the country, as well as a lack of appeal in an area, driving business straight to the ground in defeat. Since World War II, Venice has taken a turn for the worst. Over the past 50 years, the population has dropped from 165000 to a mere 63,000. This huge migration is a major detriment to the number and type of stores dotting Venice’s streets. With the incoming attention of tourists, more and more supply stores were transformed to souvenir shops, leaving less available stores of absolute living necessity to the actual Venetian residents. This along with the high cost of living for residents and high real estate costs force many residents to move out to the mainland. With all the empty houses, foreigners such as New Yorkers and Londoners, are willing to pay top dollar for them as second homes, thus forcing the cost of living to escalate. With this decrease in actual residents, the remaining supply stores have less customers, and without enough income to pay the rent, some are forced to close down. Also with the introduction of the euro in January 2002, prices in some cases almost doubled, forcing store owners to increase their store prices to stay afloat to meet up with this high cost of living. More often than not, the prices drive the population to shop further for cheaper prices, thus causing decreased income for shops and eventual foreclosure. Also, the number of educated middle-class jobs available in Venice are limited, since an inability to handle inflated real estate cost forced such companies as doctors’ offices, banks, and insurance companies out to the mainland. Such a cycle is hard to get out of and actions must be taken immediately!

click source here!

Tour of Venice

it would be a good idea to have an idea of the inner workings of this beautiful city and what it looks like on a more personal scale:

Culture of Venice: Carnival of Venice

here is an interesting video on the different designs of masks of the Carnevale Venezia!

Good way to get some ideas on the style and history of Venice

Problems in Venice:Part II

Here is another link i found that pinpoints locations in Venice that have great amount of issues:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/venice/sieg_flash.html

What Causes these Floods? What has been done?

Usually, the rise and fall of tides will result in the floodings. In Venice, the Adriatic rises and falls twice daily.

Here is a flash about why the tides rise and fall twice daily:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/venice/tide_flash.html

How did Venetians cope with this problem?

"High water, or acqua alta, is a persistent phenomenon throughout the Venetian lagoon. Over the centuries, the city's leaders, merchants, and residents have dealt with rising sea levels either by demolishing old buildings and erecting new ones on higher, impermeable-stone foundations, or by raising the entrances to buildings that line the dozens of canals criss-crossing the historic city. Or, on the then-rare occasions when the city was flooded by storm-driven tides, Venetians simply waited it out. The water went up, a few hours later it went down, and life, scarcely disturbed, went on."

Now how much will the tide rise in Venice?

"By 1989, however, such inundation occurred no fewer than 40 times a year. In 1996, water nearly as high as the average tourist's knee lapped 99 times at piles of sandbags placed to guard the doorways of the Doges' Palace and St. Mark's Basilica. More and more frequently, visitors must walk on elevated wooden walkways, or passarelle, as peak tides flow over the city's sidewalks. Boats cannot navigate the canals during the highest tides because they cannot pass under bridges.

The high tides are not just annoying but damaging. Instead of merely washing against the impermeable marble that makes up the city's foundations, high waters are splashing with increasing frequency against the soft, permeable bricks that sit above the foundations. Saltwater from the Adriatic soaks into this brick, inching ever higher into the walls and creeping into interiors, destroying frescos and other irreplaceable relics. Unless they have been restored with new, waterproof brick, many of these buildings crumble imperceptibly."

more was found on this link here:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/venice/solutions.html

Problems in Venice: Serious Flooding (video)

Just recently, Venice had a massive flood, due to the sea level rising way above normal and was reported to be the highest "acqua alta" since the 1.58 m in 1986.

Usually the city is prone to floods (but not of this huge magnitude), suffering about 200 days each year!

Here is a video taken from BBC News website!

Venice Flooded: Watch out!

Problems in Venice

In order to fully understand what the art installations will actually DO to solve the various issues in Venice, one must first find...well...the issues!

in one online article i found, some issues plaguing Venice are the following:

~Pollution, Land: caused largely by massive amounts of tourists

~Pollution, Water: the lagoon has become more polluted due to litter by tourists and illegal sewage dumping from overloaded systems.

~Pollution, Air: Bus and car pollution cause species loss and damage to buildings and monuments

Another major problem that has started to be a real issue since 1989 is tourism. Each year, an estimated 7 million tourists come to visit the city, whose infrastructure cannot contain such a mass number. Not only that, but the suburban flight of 1,500 residents of Venice, due to lack of jobs and inflated real estate prices, has become clearly and alarmingly noticeable.

Tourism adds to the litter and overcrowding of the city, and since tourists are not willing to spend that much money while staying the day in Venice, the financial economy of Venice is sinking.

More can be found on this link: http://www1.american.edu/TED/VENICE.HTM

Appealing to the 5 Senses: Example 1

I found this link which is a great example of appealing to the 5 senses!

http://www.toraya-group.co.jp/english/wagashi/art.html

http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in/5senses/develop71a.htm

Examples of Art Installations

Here are some great examples and idea-starters for art installations! Here is another great link as well!

http://www.thecoolhunter.co.uk/article/detail/1577

Venice Biennale

Here is a link i found on the Venetian Biennale, which is a very cool contemporary art exhibition held every 2 years in the city of Venice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice_Biennale

http://www.labiennale.org/en/art/exhibition/

"A work of art represents a vision of the world and if taken seriously it can be seen as a way of making a world. The strength of the vision is not dependent on the kind or complexity of the tools brought into play. Henceall forms of artistic expression are present: installation art, video and film, sculpture, performance, painting and drawing, and a live parade."

Now finding some way to get this project on the Biennale would not only be mind-blowing, but would put our project on the map!