gio tirotto installs 208 light-emitting buoys under rimini's tiberius bridge

‘208’ is a public light installation by italian designer gio tirotto comprising a fleet of custom-made buoys that float just under rimini’s historic tiberius bridge (ponte di tiberio). curated by maria cristina didero, the project includes 208 buoys, the same amount as the current number nations in the world. subtracted of their original functionality, the buoys gain a completely new one: the hope and the vision of a finally united, cohesive world that looks to a brighter future, beyond differences and conflicts.all images courtesy of gio tirotto and rimini tourism

‘the goal of each of my projects is the construction of a message, which can be ethical, political or ironic,’ says gio tirotto. ‘it doesn’t matter which one, but it must never be missing. I believe that the designer is like a bridge made of form, details and function, which unites an initial idea to a final message.’

the evocative luminous sculpture includes 208 buoys that float in continuous movement under the tiberius bridge, composing a quiet symphony of flashes that seems to lull the viewer’s gaze. the installation, which commissioned by the rimini municipality – department of culture, in collaboration with laboratorio aperto, and within the event ‘welcome! – rimini creativity and design month’, will be on view until the end of january, 2021.

curated by maria cristina didero, who also collaborated with TOILETPAPER magazine for another public project in the city back in 2015 (read more on designboom here), ‘208’ confirms the deep commitment to culture by the municipality of rimini. the fleet of custom-made opal rhombs absorbs sunlight during the day, with each buoy autonomously storing energy in a variable manner, depending on its position in the water square. each element is an independent body but part of the whole, linked to the others; each buoy reacts differently to external stimuli, making the coexistence between the community and the individual explicit. as such, the luminous sculpture becomes an emblem of diversity and at the same time a symbol for inclusion.

the elements of ‘208’ are firmly anchored to the seabed, and though they never move in sync, they all have been originated in the same way. in the incessant search to reach a balance, the project becomes a powerful metaphor for the state of extreme fragility in which we have been living in recent times. tirotto’s gesture, consistent with the maritime tradition and the culture of a city on the adriatic coast, emphasizes a sense of union that gathers all of humanity, held together by the current emergency, but above all by a solid communion of intentions, capable of becoming strength. ‘208’ is on view until the end of january, 2021, while the buoys will be reused once the project is dismantled.