Essay

A Ferrari and Victoria of Samothrace

When you contact Leon Battista Alberti as history has seen fit to portray him to us at the Uffizi, wrapped from top to bottom in folds, with a rather silly bonnet on his head and presenting us with a stern look a long written document, only as a boy of life and an Italian avant-garde can you imagine him. Add to that what we have learned - that he was the scholar of the age, the theoretical conscience of the Renaissance, etc. - and the antipathy towards him is total. And it's unfair. Leon Battista tamed horses, jumped over the shoulders of ten men, threw the apple, with his back against the wall, over the dome of the cathedral, won all the lance and spear contests with ease, dazzled the assembly with all sorts of sporting acrobatics, and I don't think he did all this draped in his anteroom to the ground and with his cloak on his forehead. And he would gather his friends to sing to them - whether they wanted to or not - to entertain them, not to read them his theories and bore them. It's a pity that history seems to have something against likeable people who didn't know how to defend themselves against it in time by making their own image for posterity.

I am convinced that Leon Battista Alberti, in a different organization of the world, would have taken part in the Monza circuit and, unlike Marinetti, would not have had an accident. He was too good a sportsman. He certainly wouldn't have fallen off his horse to his death like Boccioni. And although he would probably have gotten himself, like Sant'Elia, like the fool, into the front line in the war, he would have managed to escape with his life. As a kid, he'd have been the best roller in the park. In the winter, he'd be freestyle skiing. If he wanted to, he'd be the best stuntman. But, first and foremost, as an Italian, he would have loved cars and motorcycles. As a professional, he would, of course, have designed them. He might even have revolutionized it, because he was also a pretty technical guy.

Although we don't know how long he would have been online, he would have had a lot of Facebook friends, because I don't know how he did it, but he had time for everything. In his day, he was always out in public with friends, having a wine and a song. Today you'd find him doing jazz at the Motors. He loved performing and, generous by nature, he loved to put on a show to please those around him. Instead of churches, I think today he would have liked to design, say, event architecture - Olympic structures, public art installations, festival spaces.

Read the full text in issue 5 / 2011 of Arhitectura magazine.

When looking at Leon Battista Alberti as history deemed appropriate to depict him to us at Uffizi, draped from head from head to toe, wearing a funny hat and fluttering a lengthy document with a rather severe expression, you can imagine him as anything but a fun-loving guy and Italian avant-gardist. If you also recall what we learned about him - that he was the scholar of his time, the theoretical conscience of the Renaissance etc. - the antipathy towards him can reach an absolute climax. And this is quite unfair. Leon Battista would tame horses, jump over the shoulders of ten men, throw an apple, his back against the wall, over the dome of the cathedral, win effortlessly all lance and spear-throwing competitions, would amaze the crowd with all sorts of sportive acrobatics, and I honestly don't think he did all that draped in long garments, cloche hat on his forehead. And he would call his friends to sing to them - whether they wanted it or not - and to entertain them, not in order to read to them from his theories and bore them to tears. It's such a shame that history almost seems to be having something against nice people who didn't know how to defend themselves from it in due time, by building their own image for posterity.

I am convinced that in another form of temporal organization of the world, Leon Battista Alberti would have taken part in the Monza circuit and, unlike Marinetti, wouldn't have caused any accidents. He was too good a sportsman for that. He surely wouldn't have fallen off his horse and died, like Boccioni. And, although he would have probably joined the war like the fool Sant'Elia, in the first line, he would have done better and gotten out of it alive. As a kid, he would have been the best skate roller in the park. In winter would have practiced acrobatic skiing. Had he wanted to, he would have been the best stuntman. However, first and foremost, like the italiano vero that he was, he would have enjoyed cars and motorcycles. Naturally, as a professional he also would have supervised their design. Perhaps he would also have revolutionized it, because he had a fairly technical inclination.

Although it is not known how much time he would have spent on the Internet, he would surely have had plenty of friends on facebook, because somehow he found time for everything. In his days, he would go out with his friends in the public space, to chat over a glass of wine and listen to some music. Nowadays you could find him playing jazz at Motoare. He enjoyed shows and, being the generous nature that he was, he enjoyed making show in order to please the people around him. Instead of churches, I think today he would have liked to design architecture for specific events - structures for the Olympic events, art spaces in the public space, spaces for festivals.