Description

Astra Zarina in Civita honors the life of Emerita Professor and Architect Astra Zarina in Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy. The exhibition is housed inside the Museum Geologico Delle Frane in the homonym Etruscan town. Together with the Civita Institute, the Comune di Bagnoregio and the Civitonici we inaugurated Astra Zarina in Civita a permanent exhibition on the life of an extraordinary woman whom in 1961 set foot in Civita di Bagnoregio and fell in love with it. The project fulfills many people’s wishes to celebrate Astra’s life spanning over 40 years, from her first visiting, studying, living and eventually dying in the Etruscan town.

The beautiful Palazzo Alemanni­–a renaissance building–shows Astra Zarina in Civita in one of its rooms. The exhibition space is the same in which many years earlier Astra taught. Six video projectors display images, video and text along the building’s walls. Words in dynamic mode drift over the curtains of the windows overlooking the church of San Donato in the piazza below. Images of younger and older Astra appear on the walls through the poignant video by Clark Picket. She is with her students among the Civitonici, we recognize them and we recognize ourselves. Rome, Berlin, Riga are a few among the many cities in which Astra worked, lived and made a difference. They alternate between quotes “Civita is a prodigious paradox” this from Astra herself, together with others by Goethe, Huxtable and Socrates. Astra’ spirit is felt through them, between images and spoken words we hear muttered by visitors.

I had the honor to meet Astra in ’93 in Rome Italy. The occasion was an international competition on urban planning entitled Lo SDO My Way. She introduced me to the academic world of the University of Washington Rome Center in Rome. Her encouragement to continue to study brought me to Seattle in ’94 where two years later I obtained my second Master in Architecture from the UW. I lived in Astra’s house for almost 20 years. My life as architect and artist owes to this extraordinary woman. This show is an expression of my sincere gratitude to Astra and her family.

CIVITA DE BAGNOREGIO

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Article written by Alberto Ferrigolo: “Quando fui incantata dalla vista di un camino e dal dono del silenzio"

Contributors to the text: Iole Alessandrini; Tony Costa Heywood; Ilaria Rossi Doria; the Civita Institute

Guide La Repubblica (Excerpt)
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Astra Zarina Exhibition (AZX) Conceptual Design and Final Installation
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