The 13th edition of the festival dedicated to communication languages and technologies and named after Gugliemo Marconi, the scientist who allowed the cutting of all wires and the use of radio-waves for long distance communication, is approaching. It is in fact the Bolognese inventor and physic who developed an effective wireless communication system relying on radio-waves and radio-telegraphy which eventually led to the modern systems of radiocommunication. The “Marconi Radio Days” are therefore held in his honour, and feature a series of conferences intending to help both professionals and general public imagine the future of communication.

The contents of the events
The (free) activities in the programme want to provide food for critical thought to better understand the working mechanisms of the media system. Most of the events are going to be in Bologna, Sasso Marconi and other towns within the metropolitan area: a few dedicated to technologies, like the national convention on the ‘state of the art of wireless technologies’ (organized in collaboration with LEPIDA SpA); one on scientific dissertations held in the symbolic settings of Marconi’s first experiments (Villa Griffone and Museo Marconi); others of a more divulgative character, like exhibitions, films, workshops on radio crafts and opportunities to meet some of the greatest communicators of our time.

The Third Paradise and Michelangelo Pistoletto
Among the guests will be Michelangelo Pistoletto: the involvement of the artist from Biella is obvious from the title of the festival itself “The Third Paradise of communication”. Based on Pistoletto’s sign-symbol, the new logo of the “Marconi Radio Days” (see cover image) draws in fact inspiration from the artist’s trinamic work. This new version means to highlight the connection between nature and artifice this time in reference to radiophonic and communicative instruments and devices, in search for the balance and harmony represented by the Third Paradise.

The behind the scenes
Organizer of the event is the City of Sasso Marconi, in ‘scientific’ collaboration with Fondazione G. Marconi, Regione Emilia-Romagna and Città Metropolitana di Bologna. The 2019 edition is in partnership with Bologna University, Bologna’s Academy of Fine Arts, MamBO (Museum of Modern Art) and Cittadellarte. Furthermore, all the municipalities in the province are invited to create themed events dedicated to innovation, communication, journalism, technologies, radio and digital alphabetization in the same dates as the festival (11th – 14th April).

The comment of the organizers
“In an iper-connected world, – we read in the event’s press release – where access to endless information and the opportunity to communicate wireless even at great distances have brought us closer together, we feel alone and manipulated, more or less aware victims of fake news and the so called post-truth. The vision of Guglielmo Marconi, who at the end of the 19th century, on these very hills surrounding Bologna, proved that wires could be cut (overcoming any space-temporal barrier), offers us a way out though: his scientific and entrepreneurial progress was based on a humanitarian use of communication technologies. He was in fact awarded with a Nobel Prize because his patented inventions prevented numerous lives from being lost at sea, making transoceanic journeys safer for people and goods.
Our scientist-entrepreneur, celebrated by (so far) 12 editions of the festival “Marconi Radio Days” (making it the longest running event linked to the figure of Marconi), always remarked on the importance of the contents of the message, inviting communicators to use technology correctly, and dreaming of a people’s network very similar to the one now made possible almost globally by smartphones. We need to strive for a new more circular and sustainable dimension, and the right path to follow in continuity with Marconi’s thought might be the one suggested by Michelangelo Pistoletto’s artistic vision about the search for the Third Paradise, where nature and technology find a way to coexist in harmony”.