Borgo San Secondo dei bambini

Autore: Xuechun Cao

CV: Master’s Degree in the two-year specialist program of the School of Decoration, Public Art course

Tutor: Monica Saccomandi

Borgo San Secondo dei bambini

Borgo San Secondo is presented through the eyes of a child resident, without any specific gender or ethnic identity. This figure represents all the children of the neighborhood and plays the violin, an ancient and universal instrument, to bring joy to everyone, regardless of birth or social status. Their clothing resembles that of a concert performer, while they wear wooden clogs, once a humble footwear, now returned to fashion.

Around this figure revolve several themes and places of Borgo San
Secondo, represented in a narrative that emerges from oral histories passed down by previous generations and/or from studies and teachings, filtered through memory and imaginative fantasy. These themes and places are arranged in a harmonious composition, without a defined chronology, and illuminated by a shining sun with the intention of sparking curiosity and questions, sometimes immediately recognizable, sometimes seemingly ambiguous, tied to a story waiting to be told.

The narrative ranges from distant past to more recent memories and present-day life, offering reflections even for adults. It depicts a lively neighborhood that draws lessons from the past, but also energy for today’s life and for the projection of a dynamic future.