June 23 – July 7, 2024

Ex-Lanificio, Scala A 2°Piano, Porta Capuana, Naples

The Preennial of Water is a trans-disciplinary gathering that explored local and international relations to create a new grassroots Biennale of Water that will take place in Naples in 2026. The leading partners of the project invited artists, architects, activists, writers, researchers, designers, planners and others to imagine, discuss, create and design effective and durable responses to a range of social and environmental issues relating to water. In the context of the Commoning Lab, many stories, interests, practices and desires emerged. On July 4th, the collective reflections have been presented via the exhibition È arrivata l’acqua to which the community activated during the workshop contributed.

The partners leading this long term project are: Laboratorio Architettura Nomade, CoolCity, Commonspace, Common Views, together with Casaforte, ABC Water Company, Made in Cloister, Laboratorio di Urbanistica e Progettazione Territoriale University Federico II Naples.

wild edibles

Together with Ali Kemal Ertem (Maquis Projects), we proposed to the visitors to transform a meadow in front of Porta Capuana in to a (most likely ephemeral) botanical garden of wild edible herbs. This action, Wild Edibles is a simple seed we hope will sprout in some unpredictable way. The action roots in Ali Kemal’s Maquis Project and has born in conversation with Maria Pina Usai during the Common Lab.

The aim of this small intervention is to create, nurture and promote knowledge about a local, drought-resistant foragable zone. To achieve this, we are designating this small park as an extension of the formal institutional botanic garden of Naples.

In doing so we hope to highlight the potential of this humble site as a valuable study area in the city, serving as an experimental resource for all who experience it, and demonstrating the resilience and ecological benefits of native plant species. This will underscore the importance of drought-resistant indigenous flora in sustainable landscape planning for liveable cities. It is particularly important as it relates to water management by city authorities at a time when the stress of our changing climate and related water supply scarcities are causing many city authorities to limit or ignore water needs of parks and public water amenities. The degradation of these amenities can only add to the sense of public anxiety related to climate change.

The dry fountain that stands close to the site of our action serves as one more reminder of the ecological crisis which the world faces right now. Our project aims to contribute to a healing process – as we reconsider and plan our cities in a way that respects and works in harmony with the land, water, flora and fauna around us. ‎