From the idea of the concrete jungle in metropolitan subcultures to the Primitive Metropolis (Branzi, 2015), urban space and its Third Landscape (Clément, 2005) recount to us the relationship between the natural and the artificial in the human-nature relationship.

The forward-thinking action of some local residents made it possible to transform the exterior façade of the Chiesa Parrocchiale di Gesù Divino Lavoratore (Parish Church of Jesus the Divine Worker) in Marghera into an actual climbing wall. Since that time, twice weekly for the past twenty years, the Sgrafa Masegni association together with a large multicultural community of all ages have been using the space outside the church as a place to share and exchange the values of this sport. Concrete Jungle fits into this context by building an ecosystem to support the association's activities. 

Thanks to the project, all the holds worn out by intense use over the years have been replaced. A professional route setter from FASI (Federazione Arrampicata Sportiva Italiana - Italian Sport Climbing Federation) designed new climbing routes and, thanks to the contribution of various entities, new equipment was provided and used for the first time dur- ing the annual patron saint event. The project aims to build community support by seeing climbing as a new tool for urban regeneration linked to the resi- dents' interests, one that is able to reflect on the duality of the natural-artificial relationship and on new ways of intervening in a man-made habitat. The in- stallation inside the Italian Pavilion portrays this relationship by using precast concrete elements produced for industrial use and transforming them into climbable elements. The structure has been designed to be relocated to the association at the end of the Biennale Architettura 2023, serving as a new climbing structure for young children.

Brain Dead

Brain Dead is a creative collective of artists and designers from around the world. With its disruptive and graphic approach, the brand takes its cues from post punk, underground comics, and the spirit of the subculture as a whole.

Parasite 2.0

Parasite 2.0, founded by Eugenio Cosentino, Luca Marullo and Stefano Colombo, has been working in the form of temporary architecture, interior and exhibition design since 2010. Its interest is aimed at investigating the state of the human habitat through a hybrid of architecture, design and scenography.

Practice

Parasite 2.0 (Stefano Colombo, Eugenio Cosentino, Luca Marullo)

Advisor

Elia Fornari (Brain Dead)

Incubators

Associazione SgrafaMasegni

M9 – Museo del ’900

Location

Terraferma veneziana (Venezia), Veneto

Main Sponsor

Vibram

Sponsors

Luisa Via Roma Firenze

Montura

Technical Sponsor

Davanzo – Manufatti in Cemento

Production

Claudia Decaro

Director

Achille Mauri

Route Setter

Marzio Nardi

Photographic Documentation

Teo Giovanni Poggi

Associazione SgrafaMasegni

Ivan De Toni (Presidente), Marco Frison (Vicepresidente), Maide Scattolin (Tesoriere), Roberto Checchin (Respon-sabile materiali), Luciano Giacometti, Massimiliano Ferru (Responsabili muro), Luciano Giacometti (Responsabile Sportler)

Aknowledgements

All Rise

FASI (Federazione Arrampicata Sportiva Italiana)