This canvas (mixed technics on canvas 90 x 90 cm) is a derivate from the psycho-historical map of Venice. The kaleidoscopic perspective allowed me to distillate from the map the intrinsic characteristics of its psycho-historical vibes.
Every city has a unique psycho-historical character that reflects its collective memory, culture, and identity. Its architecture, landmarks, streets, and neighborhoods shape its aura and sense of place. A city’s traumas, victories, and transformations are imprinted in its psyche, creating a complex tapestry of emotions and meanings. Understanding the psycho historical character of a city can help us appreciate its nuances, conflicts, and potentials, and foster a deeper connection between its residents and visitors. It also invites us to reflect on the social and environmental factors that shape our urban experience and shape our future cities.
Emotional atmospheres exist constantly and everywhere. Every gathering, even if it is no more than a crowd on the street, is dominated by some sentiment. The emotional atmospheres of a city can be mysterious or specific, incomplete, or complete. They belong to the present and/or the past, and/or the future. They can be fluid or more solid, temporary, or more enduring. Affects can be, and are, attached to things, people, ideas, sensations, relations, activities, ambitions, institutions, and any number of other things, including other affects.
The character of a city is a collection of moments that encompass a range of emotions and events. From the exciting to the heartbreaking, spiritual to adventurous, all these moments come together to form the colorful tapestry of its timeline. Whether its habitants experience happiness or sadness, each piece contributes to the overall mosaic of its psycho-historical map. And while each piece may seem small and insignificant on its own, when seen from a kaleidoscopically perspective, they create a beautiful and unique picture that reflects what it is and the journey it undertakes.
Shaharee Vyaas 