Or Back to the Future, if you prefer. What exactly does that mean? It means that for us the future and the past have the same value, and that building one does not imply forgetting the other. It means that in Marches, the region where we are based, we can't envision growth without harmony. It means that progress, if it has a negative impact on the quality of life, for us cannot be called true progress.
Metaverso Raffaello is about telling the story of how in Marches we envision progress, in the fields of visual arts, design, music, technology and education. We, who? We are a network of institutions of excellence led by the Poliarte Academy of Ancona, and we are convinced that our land is a perfect contemporary model of an Ideal Region, with a strong connection between development, heritage protection and respect for the environment. We are also convinced that to build a truly sustainable future we can start from this very model, because it is not a utopia, rather it is a solid reality. How solid? Come and find out with us.
Singular in the sense that it is remarkable, because otherwise we are an ode to plurality. Starting with the very name, since we are the only Italian region with a plural one, reflecting our incredibly varied and complex history.
Yet this complexity, thanks to a kind of spell, instead of producing chaos has merged into a single reality that conveys a profound sense of balance (at least to us, but we are sure it is contagious: that's what everyone tells us).
For us, diversity has always been a value, as has inclusion: it was our past that taught us the instinctive capacity for harmonious coexistence among people and with the environment.
In what unsuspected ways can a land where the whole is mysteriously greater than the sum of its single parts change your life?
Marches is a place where the philosophy of life and work ethic are instinctively based on the principles of sustainability: in other words, it is the region of lightness.
Here, the multiple meanings of sustainability and transition are not really distant, or in some cases utopian, goals to be achieved, but rather natural, almost genetic conditions; hence there has never been a need to list these goals. This is because we have never lost sight of the common sense of the past: and common sense is often simply another way of saying “sustainability”.
The natural instinct to limit the environmental impact of any activity, including industry, is related to the context in which people live and work: the ploughed hills, which are impossible to miss wherever you are, constantly remind the inhabitants of their origins. Agriculture plays a crucial role in the region's past and present economy. Here lies great importance in preserving a landscape heritage that produces both beauty and economic well-being.
Poliarte Academy of Ancona
Poliarte Academy is the project leader and has a crucial role in enhancing the MUDEMA (Marche Design Museum) digital platform and the Marche hinterland through design and applied art. MUDEMA will bring together works and centers of design in the Marche region, creating a territorial network that can be an international reference point for scholars, artists and designers.
The project involves an activity to restore and enhance the hinterland of the Marche region, focusing on the redevelopment of historic spaces and the creation of new synergies between design, architecture and traditional craftsmanship. The goal is to attract designers, students, design companies and tourists interested in authentic experiences in contact with local communities, thus contributing to the revitalization of villages.
Urbino Academy of Fine Arts
The Academy of Fine Arts in Urbino plays a central role in the exhibition and educational part of the project. One of the main events will be a final expo in Urbino that will show the results of the workshops, scenic laboratories and master classes organized during the project.
The Academy will also organize an international review of Theater, Music and Performing Arts with groups under 35, focusing on the use of new technologies in visual and performing arts, with a special focus on stage innovation. Another initiative will be an exhibition-workshop dedicated to the theme of contemporary living, with a direct link to the concept of Urbino as the "ideal city" of the Renaissance.
Finally, the Academy will produce and publish two artistic-scientific catalogs: one dedicated to restoration between tradition and innovation, the other to the results of exhibitions and art workshops.
Pesaro Conservatory of Music
The Pesaro Conservatory of Music, named after composer Gioachino Rossini, will contribute to the project by producing a work related to the theme of Raffaello and the Renaissance. The highlight will be Lauro Rossi's Cantata for the Fourth Christmas Centenary of Raffaello, which will be held in the Rossini Theater.
In parallel, a multimedia show will be staged at the Sonosphere, an immersive theater that will allow the motifs of Raffaello's frescoes to be transformed into a complete sensory experience, with 360-degree viewing and three-dimensional listening of his masterpieces. This event will combine art and technology, creating an innovative and impactful experience.
Fermo Conservatory of Music
The Conservatory of Fermo will pursue an internationalization project, with the staging of a sacred opera and an opera buffa that will later be performed in the United States. This aspect of the project strengthens the international ambition of "Metaverse Raffaello," opening up new scenarios for the dissemination of Marche's culture and arts beyond national borders.
Carlo Bo University of Urbino
The University of Urbino Carlo Bo will contribute to the project with innovative activities related to the digitization of ancient musical pieces from the 14th and 15th centuries. These scores will also be made accessible to people with deafblindness, thanks to the collaboration with the NGO Lega del Filo d'Oro. The project includes the creation of a dedicated website where the digitized scores will be published in an open mode and accessible to an international audience.
In addition, two educational workshops will be organized: one to teach the use of advanced software for digitizing ancient sheet music, and the other aimed at people with deafblindness to help them understand scores through innovative technologies such as 3D prints.