2012 edition - Gardens of delight, gardens of delirium

09. Locus genii : le génie est partout

published at 24/10/2017

"Locus genii : le génie est partout", Festival des Jardins 2012 - © E. Sander

A garden’s beauty and harmony lie in its designer’s ability to call forth the innermost essence that hides away within it - the Genius Loci. But do we dare ask this genie if a place exists where he could move freely, a place where he would not be disturbed - a Locus genii?

This extravagant notion is at the heart of the garden, which is inspired by Aladdin, a classic tale from the Thousand and One Nights. Play the part of Aladdin, then, and yield to the cave’s irresistible charms. Inside, extraordinary trees spread their branches, their fruit precious stones. Overwhelmed by so much beauty, you follow the way that leads to the lamp where lives the guardian genie, he who will grant all your wishes. But what a surprise is in store for you – there is not just one but dozens of magic lamps! For the genie, tired of being confined in so cramped a space, can now waft his way from one lamp to the next in joyful bursts of cloud and mist.

Which lamp is the genie in? There’s no point in asking – he’s everywhere!

DESIGNERS

GIGA-G (Genius Inspired Garden Admirers-Group) -Cristina MAZZUCCHELLI, Alice STRADA, Alberto CALLARI, Eugenia GARAVAGLIA, Sandro DEGNI and Alessandro MUZZI-

ITALY

From left to right: Cristina Mazzucchelli, Alice Strada, Alberto Callari, Eugenia Garavaglia, Sandro Degni and Alessandro Muzzi

Cristina Mazzucchelli is graduated in Biological Science. After a long experience as scientific researcher, since 2001 she is involved in garden and landscape design, and she leads her own studio. She attended the Scuola Agraria del Parco di Monza and she obtained a master degree in Garden Design at the University of Milan, Italy. Most of her projects are urban terraces and private gardens: many of them have been published on magazines and books. In 2007 she won the Lavinia Taverna price, awarded to young women landscape designers. In February 2008 she was entrusted with the project for qualification of a public area with a high naturalistic relevance on the Iseo lake, Brescia, Italy. The ‘Dancing Grass Park’ in Paratico opened in July 2010. Moreover, she has been collaborating for many years with magazines and publishing houses in the garden field. Her gardens are a combination of plants and creative elements that create spaces where nature is both an inspiring accomplice and an ideal companion to the fantasy world.

Alice Strada is graduated in Environmental Science, in 2008 she took a Ph.D. in Landscape Planning at the University of Milan. After an accademic experience, she started to put into practise her belief that nature and gardens are areas of harmony and well-being. As a consequence, she attended courses as an horticultural therapist and as a gardener at the Scuola Agraria del Parco di Monza. Since 2009 she collaborated in designing many therapeutic gardens; in particular, she developed an horticultural therapy project involving children, elderly and people with disability. Today she works as Agronomist and garden designer and collaborates with Cristina Mazzucchelli’s studio.

Alberto Callari is photo and set designer, he worked for 25 years in advertising, producing print and video campaigns. He has been interested in gardens since 1995. The passion for installation, sculpture and garden design led him, in 2008, to attend a course at the Scuola Arte e Messaggio in Milan, where he obtained a degree as garden designer. In 2009 he won at the public event Orticola, Milan, an award for his “cheap garden” (Giardino da due soldi). Today he actively collaborates with Verdisegni Association in Milan.

Eugenia Garavaglia attended the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Milan, with a special interest in decoration: in 2005 she took her degree publishing a thesis on "Alice in Wonderland" novel, by L. Carrol. Immediately afterwards, she attended a master on illustration at the IED (European Institute for Design). Among her most formative experiences, the apprenticeship at Nino Mustica’s studio, an important Italian painter. Her creativity led her to test different artistic tecniques, from sculpture to painting, from illustration to street art, such as murales. Today she works as an illustrator, and collaborates with different graphic and architecture studios.

Sandro Degni is certified and specialized gardener. His passion for plants, which in his childwood pushed him to turn his house into a green laboratory, led him, since 1998, to improve his skills through training courses at the Scuola Agraria del Parco di Monza. After an apprenticeship in garden centers and green companies, he started his own company ‘100 Giardini’, involved both in creating green spaces and in their maintenance. Since 2005, he has been working in collaboration with Cristina Mazzucchelli's studio.

Alessandro Muzzi is graduated at the Faculty of Agriculture in Milan, he obtained a master degree in Landscape and Garden Design at the University of Turin. After several experiences in garden centers, he lands to Bosco in Città (a public park which took part in an urban reforestation project) in Milan, managed by the association Italia Nostra. Here he trained his practical sense according to the principle: "do things naturally and sensibly". This philosophy is now reflected in his work and in his life. Today he collaborates both with ‘100 Giardini’ and with Cristina Mazzucchelli's studio.

DESIGNERS

THE GARDEN'S PLANTS