VA-M Festival 2025

Featuring an installation curated by PhMuseum, the first edition of the Vivere A-Metropolitano festival organized by HPO will take place in Italy from 31 March to 23 April 2025 across Ferrara and the Po Delta Park.

Overview

PhMuseum and HPO invited visual artists to offer their interpretation of Vivere A-Metropolitano, literally A-Metropolitan Living, meant as a way to explore the architecture, landscapes and ideas of provincial areas, giving a new meaning to those places protected by low density that do not correspond to and do not aspire to the dimension of the metropolis.

The term "a-metropolitan" does not simply indicate a lack or deprivation, but introduces a desire for emancipation and independence. While considering urban space as the main resource and solution of contemporary living, Vivere A-Metropolitano offers a space for actions and testimonies.

Selected works of artists Álvaro Muñoz, Ilias Lois, Alba Ruiz Lafuente, Aaron Schuman, Alexandra Riba, and Jinyong Lian will be exhibited in six public billboards (6x3 meters) curated by PhMuseum as part of the Vivere A-Metropolitano festival, organized by HPO, which will take place in Italy from 31 March to 23 April 2025 between Ferrara and some municipalities of the Po Delta Park. These 6 projects collectively shape an oblique, existential vision of what provincial areas can be. They celebrate perceived emptiness and boredom as spaces rich with possibilities, and fertile grounds for imagination.

Below is the list of addresses where you can find the billboards with the exhibited artists:

Aaron Schuman — Via Marconi fr. 23 City Direction, Ferrara; Alba Ruiz Lafuente — Via Foro Boario, City Entrance, Ferrara; Jinyong Lian — Via Saragat confluence San Giacomo, Ferrara; Ilias Lois — Via Beethoven fr. Pool Entrance, Ferrara; Alexandra Riba — Via Eridano intersection Via Mario Tenani, Ferrara; Álvaro Muñoz — Via Bologna Civ. 549 City Entrance

Exploring themes such as architecture, ideas, and landscapes within the province, the festival's program features workshops, exhibitions, talks, and book presentations. Additionally, on Saturday 5 April, at 11am, PhMuseum will present the open call results in a talk alongside HPO, Zattere, Zeno Franchini, and Basso Profilo at Laboratorio Aperto - Ex Teatro Verdi.

The project Vivere A-Metropolitano: architetture, idee, paesaggi nella provincia is supported by Festival Architecture-Edition 3, promoted by the General Directorate of Contemporary Creativity of the Italian Ministry of Culture.