#WideOpenYourself, conceived for La città intorno, the major urban regeneration project of the Adriano district in Milan (2017), aims to reclaim public space and reconnect with the history of places through the creation of pathways, observation points, and play stations.
The urban space was scattered with famous quotes from writers, philosophers, and artists. Additionally, in specific areas of the neighborhood, actual playgrounds were drawn directly onto the ground.
Each intervention used road paint and a photocatalytic finishing capable of neutralizing and transforming polluting and toxic agents into harmless substances.
An audio map was also created, allowing visitors to listen to the quotes read by actress Antonella Ruggiero.
The use of the hashtag will allow the project to continue evolving online, creating a bridge between the physical and virtual realms, between the artwork and its audience.
The “player-visitor” can document their interaction with the installation, but also suggest new routes, perspectives, and actions.
#WideOpenYourself functions as an open device that invites the viewer to explore an intimate dimension of the self through a collective and, at the same time, personal experience—encouraging participation in the making of a fluid and ever-changing work.

THE ROUTE

Some particularly meaningful locations were selected to form the stages of an ideal path for (re)discovering the neighborhood, its origins, play, and relationships:

– Piazza Costantino, the site of the former Crescenzago town hall, marking the beginning of the Adriano district, which extends northward along the street of the same name

– The abandoned area of the former Magneti-Marelli factory, at Via Adriano 60

– The water basin along Via Privata Vipiteno

– The former air-raid shelter, now incorporated into the commercial area

– The green area at the corner of Via Tremelloni and Via Tognazzi

PIAZZA COSTANTINO

VIA ADRIANO 60

VIA PRIVATA VIPITENO

VIA TREMELLONI

credit: Antonella Ruggiero