Theater of the City

Author(s): Natalija Subotinic

Source: Journal of Architectural Education (1984-), Vol. 43, No. 1 (Autumn, 1989), pp. 35-44
Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the Association of Collegiate Schools of
Architecture, Inc.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1424983
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http://www.jstor.org

Natalija Subotinic graduated from
CarletonUniversityin 1985, where she
received the Alpha Rho Chi medal and
design and researchawards for her the-
sis. She completedher Mastersof Archi-
tecturein the Historyand Theoryprogram
atMcGillUniversity. She is currently
teach-
ing at TheCollege of the Atlantic.
Who Lives In The Shadow Of The
Curtain?
Itis dark...
Theshadow dweller hides in the folds of
thecurtain. Never to be seen he receives
his cues from a single light located far
above his room. When the light reaches
himhe knowswhat he mustdo. A colossal
task. It is said that sometimes, between
acts, the shadow dweller leaves.. ..and
ceases to dwell. Thereis no explanation.
Furthermore,nobody has ever actually
seen himdo this. Upon closer inspection
of theopenings leading intothe dwelling,
one may notice the worn smoothened
surfaceof the once sharp edges. This is
why on some occasions when the curtain
failsto open or close on cue, onlyyou will
knowwherethe shadow dweller... is not.
1 Who livesin Iheshadowof thecurtain?
Theater of the City
35
An analogy can be drawn between the or below, separates the upper realm
twodimensionalpictureplaneof thecanvas fromthe lower.
and the prosceniumof the stage. Both
representthe invisible wall between a Thecityand stage are a reflectionof life,
representationof the worldand the spec- and life is ephemeral.Thistheateris both
tator.Thatspace of the stage existsalong the space of representationand the rep-
thelinewhichseparateslightfromshadow. resentationof space. The "theaterof the
city" is not conceived as an institution
If one rotates this line, does it reveal a because in thiscase the city itselfis the
space? institution.
A journey into the city and the
discovery of a lost myth...
Venice,"therevelof theearthand masque
of Italy," began as an improbablecity.
Housesof twigs were set on piles driven
intothe earth;likesea-birdnests, halfon
the sea and half on land, they spread
over the surface of the water. Thiswas
the haven which had been built by a
2 Theater
of theCity: Planview communitywhich had abandoned the
land to seek safety in a lagoon of fishing
islets. Venice, the city of an "eternal
Flourishingin the draped clouds passing present,"has since become a collection
overthemurky darkness,thecurtainsgradu- of plastic souvenirsand a set of tourist
ally recede. itineraries.As HenryJames observed in
the early 1900's, "Veniceof today is a
An upperrealm,thatof light,and a lower vast museumwhere the littlewicket that
realm,thatof shadow, appear beforeour admits you is perpetuallyturningand
bewildered gaze. The picture plane re-
veals the mysteriouscollapsed perspec-
tiveof a vaguelyfamiliarcity. Theparallel
edges of the stage appear to mergein the
distance forminga triangular"illusion."
Thetransparent surfaceof the stage seems
simultaneouslyto supportand reflectthe
objects suspended within its grasp. Pro-
jecting the vanishingpoint vertically,we
are left with a line, that shared line be-
tween lightand shadow, or between, the
realmoffreedom and the realmof neces-
sity.
We begin to decipher our sur-
roundings.
Freedom is the air: a physical realm.
Existenceis the water and its reflective
surfaces;a referenceplane. Necessity is
the land, the solid earth;a metaphysical
realm.The two realmsof the stage exist
together,containing"simultaneously what
can only be perceived successively in
time. The stage, or reference plane,
where objects are placed in, on, above, 3 Theater
of theCity: Picture
plane
Fall1989 JAE43/1
36
3 of theCiy: Triangular
Theater illusion
5 TheObserver
creaking,and you marchthroughthe insti-
tutionwitha herdof fellow gazers. There
is nothingleftto discoveror describe, and
originalityof attitudeis utterlyimpossible!
"Sincethe middleages, the carnivalhad
played an importantrole in the life of the
city. However, in the early 18th century,
Fall1989 JAE 43/1
when thetheaterseason became partof its
festivities,the carnival,no longera spon-
taneous expression of Venetian licence,
was transformedinto a calculated tourist
attraction.Venice became the allegory of
vice and recklessgreed, meetingtheirjust
rewards.The touristattractionof the 18th
centuryhas become the Venicewhichwe
visit today; a folding picturepost card of
itself. Being builton water, Venice is an
endless successionof reflectionsand ech-
oes, a mirroringimage. Venetians are
both spectatorsand participants,observ-
ing the touristswhile being observed by
them.Thecityis theset fora moderntourist
center,where the actor and audience are
fused into one, and the play assumes its
own reality,bringinglife onto the stage.
Theprogramforthe play is the printedtext
of the touristguide.
Theater,being in close contact with the
society which it represents, has always
been an activevehicle forprofoundsocial
transformation.Public life in the city is
where a loss of self occurs. The touristis
continuallysearching for lost and newly
discoveredvirtues.Venice is the stage on
which the scenarios are principallythe
search for fictionalidentities;it is a thea-
ter for the touristwhere the play takes
6 ConalenoTheBudnloro to leav ee Mob on
preparing
Ascension,c. 1735
place in a temporaryconditionof leisure.
All city people become actors of a kind,
playing out theirpublic roles, justas the
scenarios of the Commediadell'Artehad
mimickedpublic life.
The myths of the city of Venice were
embodied in civic, religiousand patriotic
festivals. Everyyear, the city which rose
fromthe sea celebrateda ritualceremony;
la Festa della Sensa, or the "Ascension."
Resemblingboth a sacrifice to Neptune,
and a benediction, it symbolized the
mysticalmarriage between the sea and
Venice, a sea-born Venus. As well, the
Sensa was a riteof possessionwhich the
Venetians cherished as their principal
legendary myth.
TheSensa ritescame to be thecenterof the
vast springcarnivaland festive inaugura-
tionof the theaterseason. Crowdscame to
Venice, and thousandswitnessedthe ritual
each year. During the carnival itself,
anonymity was preservedbywearingmasks
and costumes.Allusionsto deathand rebirth
were dominantthemesof all festivities.It
was a celebrationof renewaland libera-
tion, youthfulnessand fertility,and a deni-
gration of the old, worn-out,and decay-
ing. TheSensa was a statementof destruc-
f-
 37

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7A Siteone: Companledi SonMarco diSonMaroo

7B Siteone:Companile diSonMarco
7C Siteone: Companle

Fall1989 JAE43/1
38
tion and death, as well as of rebirthand
renewal.
On the dawn of the "Ascensionday", the
Doge, and the Bucintoro,a ceremonial
galley, carried out the espousing of the
sea. Theceremonytook place within the
context of a ritualvoyage, a miniature
expeditionabroad. Fromthesecurehaven
of thecity'scenter,Piazza San Marco, the
processioncontinuedto the peripheryof
Venetian communal space, where the
known waters of the lagoon meet the
unknownand unpredictablewaves of the
sea. Withthe tokenof the golden ring,all
sacred mysterieswere united. "Withthis
ringwe espouse thee, o sea, as a sign of
trueand perpetualdominion,"the Doge
would pronounce,and with his gesture,
all potentiallyconflictingopposites were
wed; dualitywas reduced to unity,and
harmonywas broughtto a dividedworld.
The ceremonywould protectsailors and
consecrate the waves as a cemeteryfor
those who had died without receiving
extremeunction.Asthecenterof thespring
fertilityfestival, the Sensa was primarily
concernedwiththesafetyof sailorsat sea,
and with political and common hegem-
ony. As a touristattraction,it established
a trade for the merchants.The ritualin-
vokedcontinuousprosperity.Itrepresented
the marriage between the city and the
sea, and the union between two worlds;
Venice and beyond. As well, it indicated
bothan entranceintothe city and an exit
towards the sea. Throughoutthe ritual,
many realms were joined in numerous
ways; humanityand nature, living and
dead, mortaland immortal;above the
water's surface and below; male and
female; inside and outside the lagoon;
holy water and sea water; profane and
consecrated;land and sea; and "us"and
'them."However, in time, the ceremony
became just a quaint anachronism, a
senza Sensa. The image of the marriage
of the city to the sea was preservedin the
romanticmemoryof a Venice now lost.
Concurrently, thecarnival'sdramatization
of destruction,death, rebirth,and renewal
inspiredthe Commedia dell'Artescenar-
ios. Inthe Commediadell'Arte,a theater
of improvisation,there were no written
scripts. Actorswere given a stage, a role,
and a plot. Theplotswere always based
Fall1989 JAE43/1
Campanile di San Marco
We begin withthefirstsite, thecampanile
of San Marco. Itis the silentwitnessto all
eventsand time;a set fora moderntourist
center. The tower, as the symboliccenter
of the city, is reducedto a linewhose sole
mythicalfunctionis to join the base and
the summit,earth and sky; the realmsof
necessity and freedom. In order to deny
the existenceof the tower, one mustexpe-
rience the ascension. The tower is an
8A, B Siteone: Campanile
di SanMarco
on an exaggerated pictureof theeveryday
lives that people led. The stage was the
street,or the home, and all thathappened
therewas recognizableand familiar.The
established charactersof the Commedia
dell'Artewere also the characterswhich
evoked the carnivalmasks. Itwas at this
time in the city thatthe publicand private
came together,and it became difficultto
differentiatea trueVenetianfroma visitor.
From all these concurrentevents there
evolved a "theaterof the city," which
concerned itself only with props and ef-
fects.
9A
Siteiwo: The Arsenale
The mythof the city will now become the
"play"in a transformation of the celebra-
tion; a re-enactmentor re-discoveryof
meaningin a city which appears to have
lost its myth, beyond the stone edifices
which stand as a constantreminderof a
lost age. The 'play" connects us to the
modernworld,and to an awarenessof the
predicamentof Venice. The"theaterof the
city," by requiringthe spectators to be-
come partof the 'play", or participants,
enables themto acquirean understanding
of the fate of Venice and the Venetians.
Theprogramforthe 'play' thatthe tourists
have come to watch is included as an
attractionin the MichelinGuide itinerary. Se two The
Arsenle'
The pathof the 'play" takes us on a ride ,.SeIo TeAsnl
in the vaporetto,fromthe firstsite, to the
second, to the third;the durationof the
ride, and the experience of each site, is
the lengthof the performance.The "play" 9B Sletwo:
TheArsen.le
is abouteverydaylife, as were the scenar-
ios of the Commediadell'Arte.
 39

PANTALOON HARLEQUIN THECAPTAIN

The eminent citizen of Venice. He is the old
retired merchant, symbol of the prosperity
of Venice. He is a slave to trade and watches
the horizon for approaching ships. He is
excessively miserly and continually inter-
feres. He is very thin and hardlycasts a sha-
dow. He pretends to be a tower of strength
and good council, but in truth he is not. He
wearsa brightred jacket and trouserswith a
long black cloak. His mask is brown with a
hooked nose.
The patron of merchants,thieves, and pan-
ders. He is like a dolphin, appearing and
disappearing in the sea. Always bounding,
turning, and constantly in the air. He is full
of contrasting vices, and possesses ignor-
ance, naivete, wit, stupidity, and grace.
"Shade" is also one of his characteristics.
He plays the role of faithfulvalet and wears
a vari-coloured costume made from blue,
red, and green triangularpatches. He has a
black half-mask.
A militaryman possessing the contrast be-
tween a brave appearance and a craven
nature. He is strong and cruel, yet gentle
with the ladies. His eyes gleam like steel,
forcing him to wear spectacles so that his
flashing glance will not dim the sun's less
ardent rays.The spines of the porcupine on
his shield are representativeof his charac-
ter. He wears a helmet, morion, strap, and
sword. His mask is flesh-coloured with a
menacing nose.

6;1
6
?s

PULCINELLA
Thismagistrate,poet, or valetis alwaysdrawn
towardsopposite poles by his dual heredity.
He is quick, witty, ironical, cruel, and also
self-sufficient, silly, and timid. He has a
hunchback, and, as counterbalance, a pot-
belly. He walks with a hen-step and is able
to contrast between absolute immobility
and sudden agility. He always pretends to
be something he is not. He wears a white
blouse, wide pantaloons, and a comical hat.
His half-maskis white with a hooked nose.

10 Commedia
dell'Arte
figures/Arsenale
buoys

Fall1989JAE43/1
40

PEDROLINO BRIGHELLA THEDOCTOR

Thetrustworthy,young valet.He possesses
simplicityand elegance. A comic charac-
ter. He often imitatesthe captainandwears
a costumesimilarto Pulcinelia.He dances,
leaps high into the air, is double-jointed
and active. He wears a loose, blue blouse
which hangsin folds, and is usuallyplayed
withouta mask.
A thief and guide for all pleasuresin the
city. He is a jackof all trades.He does not
walkin the ordinarysense; he prowlsandis
quite often motionless,observing.He hasa
rod-likeshadowandcan be foundnearthe
wharf.Hisspineis flexibleandhe insinuates
himselfinto anynookor cranny,disappear-
ing like his competitor,the rat.He respects
nobodybut himself.Hewearsa stripedyel-
low and blackvest and has an olive-tinted
maskwitha hookednose.
He is a philosopher,astronomer,manof let-
ters, barrister,diplomat,and physician.He
hasspent his whole life learningeverything
andunderstands nothing.He is anold friend
of Pantaloon.Theyarethe sameage andare
both miserly.He is chieflya medicalpracti-
tioner but also dabbles in alchemy and
otheroccultsciences.He is clothedentirely
in blackandwearsa blackhalf-mask.

I1

-
I V

I/

-- - -
r-

i
I

i
THETOURIST
The displaced,bewilderedvacationistwho
supportsthe theoryof touring.He is a slave
11

to pleasureand culture,visitingplacesfor
their scenery and objects of interest.He
wearsbright,loose garmentsand sneakers,
and can usuallybe found flounderingin
mapsand guides.Ashiswearylegscollapse
from exhaustion,he boardsthe vaporetto,
takinghis seat to fulfillhistaskof "observa-
tion."Hismaskis fullyautomaticandcarries
a protruding50mmlens.
I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10 Commediadell'Arte
figures/Arsenale
buoys

Fall1989 JAE43/1

object when we look at it, and a lookout
when we visitit. Itimpliesthe presence of
the city as an object, simultaneouslyex-
tendedand collected beneathit.Thetower
observes,and is observed.As a spectator,
it has watched the city evolve, allowing
observersto detach theirfeet fromthecity'
s floors and become owners and com-
manders of that world. The tower has
become the marionetteand flytowerof the
city, the performerand the controller;a
vertical theater where one experiences
Venicethroughascension. Itis thisascend-
ing journeywhich has been transformed
by replacing the brick with scaffolding,
therebydisguisingthe transformation as a
perpetualcontinuityin the ongoing resto-
rationof the city's elements. The campa-
nile appears to be somethingwhich it is
not. It attempts to celebrate the ritual
experience of ascending the city, as the
citydrops away, and the roofscapesand
skyrevealthemselves.What we encounter
is a city of post cards, superimposedon
the real city; a touristcity. The tower top
remainsintact.Thetop observationdeck is
where a transformation of a differentna-
ture unfolds, and Venice becomes the
stage set for a larger, evolving presenta-
tionof the "play."The observerbecomes
the object of the tower, taking its place.
Here we are offered three specific
views;one to theArsenale;a second to the
islandof the cemetery;and finallya view
towards the sky, where the green glass
in the top of the tower is the final
touristicgesture,distortingthe color of the
sky, as in the tintedpost cards of Venice.
The tower presentsthe profane realm in
whichthe observerexperiences life in the
city of Venice today; a city of postcard
lives, and the presentstate of Venice. The
descent of the tower is by use of elevator
only.
When we reachthe groundplane it is our
faithfulMichelinGuide, a post card ven-
dor, or even a passerbywho direct us to
the No. 5 vaporettothatwill take us to the
two mysterious siteswe had glimpsedfrom
the towertop. We board the No. 5 just
outsidePiazza San Marco and begin the
miniaturejourneyrecreatingthe celebra-
tion, the Sensa.
S M, I I 'll,
S.Michel
,
\ . A,//
/ --
1 1A Sitethree:Cmiterodi SanMichele
1 B Sitethree:Cimitero
di SanMichele
The Arsenale
Thevaporettocrosses thesecond site with-
out stopping. This is the canal of the
Arsenale,a theaterof reflection;the back-
drops are set by the existingbuildings. A
visitorcan pass throughand observe, but
is forbiddento disembarkor take pictures.
The sacred and profane and the public
and private exist simultaneously. The
surface of the water becomes the stage.
The reflectionsgive an illusionof three-
dimensionality, or verticality, but are
physically,and materiallyhorizontal.The
thin single plane of the water's surface
becomes the new pictureplane, likea film
or lighton a screen in a movingpicture.
The space of reflectionexists along the
line which separates light fromshadow;
shadow is wed to light,and remainscast
by it along the linewhichthey bothshare.
The experimental-theatrical world exists
withinthe transformation of a line into a
plane, intoa space. Reflectionsmove as
41
the spectator moves. The actors and
charactersinteractand are superimposed,
throughtheirmovement,withinthe reflec-
tions. At times, some objects will reach
' I below the water surface, penetratingthe
stage. Thevaporettosymbolicallybecomes
I thedisplaced memory,recallingthe Bucin-
toro, as spectator and participant.All
objects also become spectatorsand par-
ticipants.Upon entrance to the Arsenale
we are confrontedwiththe entirescene of
the tossing of the ceremonialring, a sce-
nario played out by the charactersof the
Commediadell' Arte.As we pass through
the proscenium,we are taken onto the
stage to experience, and participatein,
this ritualceremony. The characters be-
come the actors in the "play,"they also
function as buoys, directing the boats
iK iQ
throughthe canal in the same way the
actorswoulddirectan audience througha
play. We become participantsof a play in
progress.The journeyin the directionof
the cemetery reveals backdrops which
introduceus to the private, and sacred
final act.
Cimitero di San Michele
Thecemeteryis the consecrated realm;it
is a trulysacred Venetianterritory,and a
strange place for the tourist;a theaterof
isolation. A new island is created in the
image of Piazza San Marco, forminga
gateway fromwhich we leave the city.
Under the water, through an inverted
bridge, there is a single passage to the
lone island.At thispointwe come upona
functioningcemetery, the stage for cele-
bratingthe ritualof death. We descend;
prevailing obscurityconceals the igno-
rance of the inanimatelives. We share
with the dead this privateexperience of
leaving Venice at the momentwhen the
spiritreturnsto the sea. We mustnow
leave the physicalcity, and enterthe meta-
physical world of the shadow and the
reflection;a sacred experience. Perhaps
to touch the shadow is to touch death.
Thereare no actual bodies buried here,
for it is a cemeteryforthose lostat sea. In
the marriageof thecityto thesea, the final
offeringis theshadow of thetowerand the
descent of the ring into the water; the
Fail 989 JAE43/1
42

consecrationof the marriage.Thehollow

space of the "shadowtower"is linedwith
the brickfromtheoriginaltowerin Piazza
San Marco; they create a curtain-like
backdrop,well lit by flood lightscoming
fromthe depths. We descend the pathof
the dead, and leave the city in a private
ceremony. While following this single
path, we experience the several stages
where the sets are thin, single-plane
domesticVenetianfacades fromthe 18th
centuryto the 12th century;the city of an
"eternalpresent."Inthe depthswe reach
thewaterof death, theconsecrationof the
ringand the finalsacrifice;the momentof
isolation. Itis the all-encompassingcom-
pletionof the transitionfroma line intoa
plane, into infinitespace. Infinitespace
as seen fromthe point of infinity;a re-
versed perception.The finalascension is
by elevatoronly. When we reachthe top *i -. ....
..

of the "shadow tower"the elevator be- ... .......

comes a single tombstoneon the island;

the epitaph of a myth.It is here thatwe
begin our returnto the city, by boarding
the No. 5 vaporettofor the final journey 12 SiteTwo:ArsenoleJoumey
towardCmiterodi SanMichele
back. Once more we pass throughthe
Arsenale;its backdrops,the post cards,
reaffirming theeverpresent"publicrealm"
of Venice. The vaporetto returnsus to
Piazza San Marco, where we began.

. 1.V
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*'

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13 Sie Two: Arsenale.Thereturnourneyto SanMarco

Fall1989 JAE 43/1

 43

14A SiteThree.Cimitero
di SanMichele di SanMichele
14B SiteThree.Cimitero di SanMichele
14C SiteThree.Cimitero

Fall1989 JAE43/1
44

15 di SanMicheleand Campanile
.. .toSanMarco(Cimilero 16B .. .o San Marco (Campanile di San Marco)
di SanMaroo

""""cl"lllP)"-C i' cele

16A .. .to San Marco (Cimiterodi San Michele) 17 .. .o San Marco (Campanile di San Marco)

Fall1989 JAE 43/1