Stefano Boeri will encourage a reflection on the concept of pity.
The first variation will deal with the notion of pity as mercy. Boeri will present 'Solid Sea', a research on the Mediterranean developed by Multiplicity, which documents the Mediterranean as a territory ploughed by predetermined routes, unsurpassable boundaries and subdivided into specialised and strictly regulated bands of water.
The second variation will decline the concept of pity as empathy. Boeri will present his last project: the Mediterranean research centre in Marseille, which will be opened for the opening of Marseille 2013 cultural European capital.
The third version explores reciprocity. As councillor for culture of the Municipality of Milan, Boeri is now planning to move the Pietà Rondanini sculpture (the last and unfinished work by Michelangelo) into the central chapel of the panopticon prison San Vittore (Milan) where it will be temporally hosted. This context is not only a contemporary urban challenge, but it suggests a new understanding of pity.
Stefano Boeri is a Milan-based architect and councillor for culture in Milan. He is the founder of the international research network Multiplicity and he was editor-in-chief of both Domus and Abitare. As founder of SBA Stefano Boeri Architetti, he is committed to the research and practice of contemporary architecture and urbanism.