Individual Masquerades

The float is a play on words between the famous motto “We can do it” on II World War US propaganda posters and Wicca, the neopaganism based on nature and its cycles.

Cleopatra, the last legendary Egyptian queen is caught between the present and the past of Egypt. In the present day, human rights are too often trampled on in her Country, a place where there is little or no room for dissent and freedom of thought. Patria means homeland in Italian and the float aims to shine a light on such human rights violations while reminding us to draw strength from one's own history and past, so we may look to the future with hope.

The float is a tribute to the Italian singer-songwriter and composer Franco Battiato. The author uses the cover of the album "La voce del padrone" as a backdrop, but in this case Battiato looks like an angel, sitting on a winged camel with a large record-player looming in the background a large turntable.

"It's sun dust that makes Pierrot laugh again" states a famous traditional song of the Viareggio Carnival. This is also the perfect metaphor of our lives: in difficult times we feel like the Pierrot, but a little sun dust is enough to help us face obstacles lightly, to make Pierrot laugh once more.

The ever more questioned and fingered satire is the protagonist of this masquerade. According to the author, the tendency towards self-censorship is increasing day by day in our media-based society that finds more and more controversy on any topic. For this reason, satire is portrayed as a traditional Spanish witch that is burned at the stake.

As Italian athlete Bebe Vio proves, there are no obstacles that cannot be overcome or monsters that cannot be defeated. Despite the many challenges faced, the multiple Olympic Champion has never lost her desire to fight and has become an example to follow. A modern heroine who manages to overcome the most terrible hardships with the strength of her smile.

Towards infinity and beyond is the direction of man's scientific interest, as shown by billionaire Jeff Besoz - the creator of Amazon, who has pursued his dream of travelling beyond the confines of the earth's orbit and made it possible to think of infinity as a tourist destination and of the great beyond as a utopian dream of immortality. In the masquerade, the author imagines Besoz as the space ranger from Toy Story.

The phoenix represents both death and resurrection. Today it is also a symbol of resilience, of not allowing oneself to be disheartened by difficulties. The float wished to be a metaphor of hope, strength and of rebirth from one’s own ashes for all.