Is Venice truly a city of water?

The Venice’s relationship with water which began from the late 6th century, passed through Grand Canal during the construction of the Piazza San Marco and Basilica in the 13th century, slipped along the heyday of the republic during 14th to 15th century, trickling down the modern and present days and yet never was it really successful at even achieving a mutual communication until today.

Water has always existed as a vital element in Venice for more than 1,500 years, but it had hardly functioned nor acted as anything other than a ‘road’. The very custom of building structures above water on stabilized slabs which are supported by piles and the act of crossing the canals on a gondola evidently shows how water is existent in the city of water as an element of fear. For instance, ‘Acqua alta(high waters)’ is perceived as a limiting element to everyday life making lower levels of the buildings unusable. Thus, with much irony, Venice; a city entitled along with water, is actually filled with discomfort and fear against water more than any other place in the world.

For that, we think Venice is a city of drowned roads, not a city of water.

Then what is truly, a city of water?

Can’t we find and cast that kind of actor not from elsewhere but from Venice?

In the middle of an unprecedented casting event, an extremely ordinary face appeared in front of us.

He was Uncle ‘Pole’ who had been living in the water for more than 1,000 years.

When we asked Uncle ‘Pole’ if he who is always bumped by a gondola and whose neck is twined by moorings everyday can act as the new creative actor of Venice, he shook his head and replied with a deep sigh.

“Who was there to lend a shoulder for Ms. Gondola to lean on when she was tired out?”

“Who was there to guide those numerous Ms. Gondolas to the right direction of flow of life?”

“Who was there to sacrifice themselves to become a crest and nameplate for the aristocrats and

the upper crust of Venice?”

“Lastly, who is there that stands in this water longer than I have?”

“Oh! Yes. Uncle ‘Pole’! You are the one to play ‘Venice, the city of water’.”

Uncle ‘Pole ’dressed in a skirt for men called the ‘Tunic’ and started to play.

As Uncle ‘Pole’ began dancing along Antonio Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”, his ‘Tunic’ started spinning along the strings of the violins of “Summer”.

When the ‘Tunic’ spun and turned, the unworthy water began turning into Venice’s ‘water of new value’.