WASP gives a soul “l’anma” to its town

Now the 3D printed sculpture of the big peach-stone covered with golden foils is in the middle of the new roundabout just outside Massa Lombarda center

“All right, we can offer you a place where to test and experience your 3d-projects. We hope that this place will become, in a near future, a true virtual fabrication technological village. In return, would you like to do something for the community?”. We could do nothing but saying “yes” to this request risen more than one year ago by Daniele Bassi, Massa Lombarda’s Mayor. “We are planning a new rotary just outside the city-center at the beginning of Zaganelli road; a 3d printed street furniture in the middle of it would perfectly suit”.

A big responsibility

What a great idea. Everybody was satisfied. But immediately after, worries und wavering took place to the initial enthusiasm: we took a big responsibility that day in the mayor’s office.  As usual we had to face a completely new adventure.  New not only for Wasp if you consider that nothing similar has never been 3d printed before. If you add the fact that our job is so far from real Art (we do not think we are artists) the worry increases. What should we represent? Which kind of object?

A territory symbol

A badge was necessary, something connected to the territory, with its history, its tradition, with its culture but at the same time innovative. All characteristics belonging to people from Romagna. Fruit farming, in particular peaches cultivation bore in someone’s mind. The history tells that from the end of 800s to the beginning of 900s the first orchards were planted exactly in Massa Lombarda. Others followed this example and Industrial fruit-farming took place – then Massa Lombarda and surroundings became a datum point in the Italian and European market.

“What about printing some fruit, one peach!” somebody said. We were moving in the right direction. We had focused the subject but not the core yet…. the core… the peach-core that’s our object. We will 3d print a peach stone! The Core or the heart what we in Romagna’s dialect call “Anma” the essential – otherwise said the “romagnolo’ soul”.

The peach core

At this point we took a peach, not taking care about the king of peach – our aim was inside. First of all we had to test the possibility to print a giant peach-stone.

We had to start from scanning the stone then we passed through an unknown path using the 3d drawing software to transform it in a huge stone but able to be “dropped” layer by layer using our 3d printers.

Then the material choice. At first we thought to porcelain because it had to last for a long time, but it was a failure: the first attempt literally crumbled in our hands.

 

Then we were suggested to use a special plastic material ASA commonly used in the car production industry because of its resistance to ultraviolet and like wood-modeling. The first stone prototype was realized is small size and we appreciated the fact that, though its complex shape, it could hold up without collapsing.

We started to print the real sculpture, about 1 meter high, after several months of attempts and tests.

The “’Anma” covered with real gold

Finally we 3dprinted the soul (the Anma) the most precious thing. It took 50hours printing plus the following finishing touches. But we were not satisfied yet. Then a flash of inspiration we would cover the sculpture with the most precious material: gold. The work would have been the representation not only of our territory history, but also of wellness. At this point the message would be whole.

The 90 cm peach-core, has been totally covered with 500 golden foils (8×8 cm, for a total surface of about 2 mq). It’s 25 kg and it is stained by a tubular steel stand.

From the 27th April 2017 it’s in the middle of the roundabout just outside the city center, unavoidable crossing for people coming from Ravenna to Bologna and for those coming in the opposite direction.

“We are very proud – The mayor Bassi said during the rotary inauguration – WASP is one of territory’s excellences where, several realities, spread our tradition and our innovation longing in the world. Massa Lombarda has strong roots but a lot of vitality too. It’s much better than how it’s normally represented”.