Sezione Lombroso, video installation, 2009
Sezione Lombroso
L’edificio, progettato nel 1892, era destinato ai malati cronici tranquilli. Era un vasto fabbricato capace di ospitare fino a 50 persone. L’intera struttura, già circondata da un muro di cinta, venne suddivisa in modo da creare due cortili, uno per i ricoverati tranquilli e l’altro per quelli pericolosi, facendo così del Padiglione una realtà del tutto isolata rispetto al resto del manicomio, in linea con la legge 1904 “sui manicomi e sugli alienati”, che rendeva obbligatoria l’istituzione presso i manicomi di una speciale “sezione” d’isolamento per “pazzi criminali dimessi” e “detenuti alienati”. Il “Lombroso” costituiva il manicomio nel manicomio, la parte più chiusa e inaccessibile del San Lazzaro. La mia indagine si è rivolta a una serie di disegni realizzati dai detenuti del Lombroso all’interno del porticato di ingresso dell’edificio. Si tratta di una traccia interessante e sensibile lasciata dai pazienti, reclusi nella struttura nel periodo della seconda guerra mondiale. Il Lombroso era una struttura di detenzione chiusa da una recinzione esterna che non permetteva il contatto con il mondo e l’unica “Finestra” sugli eventi che i detenuti avessero era il giornale. A partire dall’osservazioni delle immagini e le fotografie dei giornali i reclusi hanno realizzato questi interpretazioni. Si tratta di disegni e schizzi fatti a matita, con uno stile e una logica prospettica molto peculiare. Il video dei disegni, idealmente pensato per essere proiettato a parete, si accompagna a un altro a monitor dove scorrono le riproduzioni delle fotografie e delle illustrazioni di differenti giornali del periodo della seconda guerra mondiale, fonte d’ispirazione che rappresenta l’immaginario del reale cui i detenuti hanno attinto per realizzare i disegni.
The building, designed in 1892, was destined to calm the chronically ill. It was a large building, preceded by a porch that can accommodate up to 50 people. In 1910, the central building transformed into "Section Lombroso." The structure is already surrounded by a wall, was divided to create two courtyards, one for the inmates quiet and another for hazardous ones, thus making the pavilion a reality completely isolated from the rest of the asylum, according to the 1904 law "on asylums and aliens", which makes the establishment at the asylums of a special section of insulation for "criminally insane resigned" and "detained aliens." The "Lombroso" was most closed and inaccessible section of San Lazzaro asylum. My investigation has turned to a series of drawings made by inmates of Lombroso situated in the building entrance. This is an interesting trace left by the patients during the Second World War. The Lombroso was a detention facility enclosed by a fence that do not allow contact with the world and the only "window" on the events was the newspaper. Starting from the observation of the images and photographs of inmates have realized these drawings. There is a now a documentation of these traces very interesting: it is made drawings and sketches in pencil, with a style and a logical perspective very peculiar. The video of the drawings, ideally designed to be projected on the wall, is accompanied by another to monitor scrolling reproductions of photographs and illustrations of different newspapers of the Second World War, which was the source of inspiration for prisoners .
The building, designed in 1892, was destined to calm the chronically ill. It was a large building, preceded by a porch that can accommodate up to 50 people. In 1910, the central building transformed into "Section Lombroso." The structure is already surrounded by a wall, was divided to create two courtyards, one for the inmates quiet and another for hazardous ones, thus making the pavilion a reality completely isolated from the rest of the asylum, according to the 1904 law "on asylums and aliens", which makes the establishment at the asylums of a special section of insulation for "criminally insane resigned" and "detained aliens." The "Lombroso" was most closed and inaccessible section of San Lazzaro asylum. My investigation has turned to a series of drawings made by inmates of Lombroso situated in the building entrance. This is an interesting trace left by the patients during the Second World War. The Lombroso was a detention facility enclosed by a fence that do not allow contact with the world and the only "window" on the events was the newspaper. Starting from the observation of the images and photographs of inmates have realized these drawings. There is a now a documentation of these traces very interesting: it is made drawings and sketches in pencil, with a style and a logical perspective very peculiar. The video of the drawings, ideally designed to be projected on the wall, is accompanied by another to monitor scrolling reproductions of photographs and illustrations of different newspapers of the Second World War, which was the source of inspiration for prisoners .