Group Masquerades

Masks have traditionally had a very strong ritual and ceremonial purpose in African tradition. The person wearing a mask is transformed into the spirit it represents with styles, colors, and shapes changing depending on the different traditions. The Viareggio Carnival offers the stage for a blending of colors, joy and fun.

This group masquerade is a tribute to the work of Lorenzo Viani, one of the greatest artists from Viareggio of 1900s. Viani skillfully depicted the lives of the most vulnerable people imbuing his paintings with drama, lyricism and poetic grace and offering his subjects the extraordinary visibility, which is still lacking today. The creator gives life to Lorenzo Viani's troubled friends in papier-mâché.

“In the wolf’s mouth” is an Italian saying to wish someone good luck. The masquerade reinterprets the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood, but in this case, the wolf is our friend and guides us in the forest along a path that leads us towards knowing ourselves and towards building a new relationship with nature. According to the two artists, "loosing ourselves in the woods" can be an opportunity to ensure a better future for mankind.

The weapons industry has never suffered a crisis and nations continue competing to see who is able to sell the most arms. Everything seems normal in this market of terror, even talking about war. News of school massacres, of household arsenals, of people shot in the street or of accidentally shot rounds have become of our everyday life. The artist thus invites us to visit the first international market for the free sale of weapons. Think about your safety, buy a bazooka. Is this the world we really want?

After the pandemic-caused halt, it is time to get back on board again. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi drives the train and is in charge of leading the country along this difficult path. However, according to the artists, this experience has taught us the importance of shared goals.

The theme of the group masquerade is the increasingly widespread awareness of environmental issues. Although in the past we witnessed a global, technological and economic revolution, in the near future we shall have to pay greater attention to safeguarding the planet and its ecosystem. A child at the center of the float represents this shift in paradigm and the song "La cura" by Franco Battiato was its source of inspiration.

The float pays homage to Samuel Beckett's play with the chessboard representing the final stage of life where the last moves of the game are played. We are the chess pieces who try to rediscover ourselves through a sadistic and cynical comedy that borders on the grotesque and who attempt to answer the crucial question: what is the meaning of existence? Nobody has the answer, but each of us must play the game until the end.