Summer 2021

SUMus's first actions to meet the Venetians.

June 26, 2021 – Minifesta in Bragora

On Saturday, June 26, 2021, SUMus participated in the "Minifesta in Bragora." During the fair, there was a puppet show, a concert of Vivaldi's music performed by Giovani, Francesco Di Giorgio, and Anna Sanachina. Elvira Rakova and Nelson Kishi presented a magnificent and captivating theatrical performance with songs and shadow puppetry. Finally, the documentary "Venezia, il faro del mondo" (Venice, the Lighthouse of the World) was projected onto the walls of the Church of San Giovanni Battista in Bragora, offering a highly immersive journey into the present and future of Venice. La Laguna nel Bicchiere and Spazio Levante were also on hand to entertain and refresh the crowds.

July 5, 2021 – Palazzo Mora

At the European Cultural Centre in the magnificent Palazzo Mora, a group of international artists, architects, academics, and experts were invited to discuss sustainability issues within the framework of the G20's sustainable solutions. The event raised public awareness and addressed key environmental issues, paving the way for reflections and projects that can lead to a conscious advancement of societal development.

Venice and the Amazon are two fragile realities that represent the historical, cultural, and natural order of humanity: they can embody the paradigm of a new model of socio-environmental sustainability.
Venice and its lagoon have been threatened since the Industrial Revolution. Climate change and the excessive reliance on tourism as the primary economic driver have led to the depopulation of the city, environmental pollution, and the destabilization of natural ecosystems.

On the other side of the world, similarly, the Amazon has lost much of its biodiversity and cultural heritage due to ongoing deforestation, logging, fires, and the resulting climate change.

The parallel between Venice and the Amazon, the starting point and driving force of the debate, originated with Sergio Pascolo, an architect, urban planner, researcher, and professor at the IUAV in Venice. Sergio is the author of the book "Venice XXI Century: Visions and Strategies for a Sustainable Renaissance." These two "ecosystems" are seemingly polar opposites, yet both are crucial to the health of the planet. In particular, they have become emblematic symbols, reminding us of the urgent need to rethink and reconfigure our value system. Sergio opened the G20 Sustainable Solutions event, supported by Simone Moltemi, Chief Scientist of Lifegate, by examining the skills and resources needed to develop robust economies. Several other speakers addressed this topic, including Manfred Nowak and George Ulrich, respectively Secretary General and Academic Director of the Global Campus of Human Rights, and Carla Toffolo, Head of the Permanent Office of the International Private Committees for the Safeguarding of Venice.

The conference was closed with a speech (attached) by Carlotta De Toni, representing Hélène Molinari, president of SUMus.

July 30, 2021 – Picnic in Certosa

It was picnic time at Certosa!
Young and old, on Friday, July 30, 2021, you were all invited to participate in a voluntary picnic at the Certosa cloister to spend a carefree evening together in nature.

Activities began at 6:30 pm with a yoga session led by @ashtangayogavenezia.
The evening continued with the musical trio Stillwater, whose instruments and the wonderful voice of @teti_cortese provided the soundtrack to a delightful experience.
Between 8:30 pm and 9:00 pm, visitors could explore Green Lense, the installation by @dougaitkenworkshop, which, at sunset, reflected all the colors of the lagoon in a magical setting.
Finally, at 9:00 pm, the documentary film "Venice, il faro del mondo" (Venice, the Lighthouse of the World) was screened, a journey to discover Venice's true treasure: the Venetian way of life.

The event was free and organized by volunteers, any offer is welcome 🙂
We were more than eager to see you there!

August 17-19, 2021 – Agis Emmanouil

Agis Emmanouil, a Greek actor, ultramarathon runner, and activist, began his 2,421 km ultramarathon (the equivalent of approximately 60 marathons) on August 11th. Supported by the World Human Forum, one of our partners, SUMus had the honor of hosting Agis in Venice during his stopover.

Indeed, on August 17th, the SUMus team welcomed Agis Emmanouil to Venice to raise awareness among the Venetian population about environmental issues, particularly climate change. His journey began at the Pnyx in Athens, where the first democratic assembly was held, and ended on November 1st in Glasgow, coinciding with the start of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the most important since the Paris Climate Conference. SUMus accompanied Agis to deliver his message to the Venetian people during planned activities on the island.
Agis shares our belief that it is urgent to co-create a new paradigm in harmony with nature, one that will address global warming, pollution, and the regeneration of biodiversity.