Given that times of intense conflict see drastic changes in all aspects of civilian life, it is only natural that there follows a change in the everyday use of language in order to communicate within these altered states. Also given that “necessity is the mother of all invention”, a whole gamut of new terminology must be developed in order to name the new materials and products created as a result of the war effort.

This series of 21 postcards, which illustrate the letters of the Italian alphabet, is the result of information collected through interviews with people who lived in Venice and the surrounding areas during the Autarchic period. These interviews, held during the months of March and April 2004, allowed images to filter through memories – images of a Venice, perhaps the most narcissistic of cities, from a time when the most used art was the “art of making do”.

Visitors to the gallery were invited to take the postcards and eventually use them, thus spreading these stories beyond the confines of the island-city.

Thanks to Lewis Baltz, Antonello Frongia, Gracco Crevato, Ennia Levorato, Dott. Marcassa, Gabriele Pavan, Velia Rizzo, Marta Scapolo, Federico Covre, Damian Levorato, Valentina Mai, Luca Vascon.

10×15 cm photographic digital prints on card paper
Year: 2004