Andrea Morucchio’s ‘Venezia Anno Zero’ Captures Lockdown Venice

Andrea Morucchio (Venice, 1967) created 'Venezia Anno Zero' during the lockdown from March 17 to May 17, 2020, filming 30 hours of video around Venice with a simple smartphone, without a tripod or stabilizer. The work, now on view at Spazio Proiezioni di Bottega Cini in an immersive atmosphere, won first prize in the 'Venezia una Città' section of the 17th Francesco Pasinetti Video Competition. The film is a collage of short videos that avoid clichéd aesthetics of a silent Venice, instead aiming to capture the city's genius loci beneath layers of masks imposed by human greed and indolence. Morucchio, a Venetian from multiple generations and son of art, previously created 'The Rape of Venice' five years ago, denouncing the abuse of the city by wild tourism. 'Venezia Anno Zero' is intended as a continuation of that work, offering a glimmer of hope that Venice deserves a second chance. The project is evolving and may be exported to other places and forms, including books, exhibitions, and video installations.