The Venue
Alberto Garutti‘s first permanent work in Milan is located on the ground floor of the Italian tallest building, in the area of Porta Nuova Garibaldi. Brass pipes run for the four underground levels of the building, and emerge in the courtyard, circling an atrium. Putting the ear on the opening of each pipe, we can hear sounds, noises and words coming from the bottom of the building. The work was developed in dialogue with the hosting architecture, and addresses the people who use that space: it is a metaphor of the importance of listening and, at the same time, evokes the shape of the city itself. A short dedication to passers-by is engraved on the floor: “These pipes connect various places and spaces of the building, this work is dedicated to those walking here, who will think about the voices and sounds of the city”.