Turning utility into art
26.11.2021
The utilitarian look of the electrical substation built in the 1950s transforms into an aesthetically pleasing piece of street art in celebration of the University of Padua 800th Anniversary. Regenerating urban areas is possible thanks to the plans committed by E-Distribuzione, which includes transforming the Enel electrical substation, located in the Arcella district of Padua, by the Italian contemporary artist Egeon. For several years, the media attention given to Arcella has grown due to various artistic implementations and changes to the neighbourhood.
The commissioned work entitled Limite is an artist comment that gives a voice to a neighbourhood with much to say and does so independently and autonomously from the bottom, uplifting the social community of Arcella.
Limite is the second in a series of artistic interventions for the neighbourhood of Arcella as part of the Universa Universis Patavina Libertas Project. The project includes the transformation of 8 E-Distribuzione electrical substations, each symbolizing a hundred years of the University of Padua history and made possible thanks to the contributions and patronage of the University of Padua.
The University of Padua Delegate for Communication and Scientific Dissemination, Professor Telmo Pievani describes the importance of this project,
“Intelligence and creativity have neither centres nor peripheries. They should and can be expressed everywhere we look. As such, the University of Padua will always support those who wish to transform the urban fabric into a place of art, evolving itself in the name of participation, culture and equality. Egeon’s work invites viewers to look beyond first impressions. Limite is a tribute to the University of Padua and the human intelligence it represents. A small plaque will bear the phrase “L’attenzione al di là del primo sguardo (Attention beyond the first glance) as a subtle gesture found below the artwork.”
On display like an open-air museum, there are now hundreds E-Distribuzione street art pieces scattered throughout Italy. This work and other forms of street art bring new life and enrich the social fabric of communities found between artists, local administrative municipalities, cultural associations, and institutes of educations. Thus, transforming an electrical framework of energy into a network of artistic beauty.
