Arianna Tomatis, architect
The concept
Entering the labyrinth, visitors are sucked into a tortuous and enigmatic path in which they are completely surrounded by tall bamboo plants which, together with a suffused fog, confuse them. The path to get to the centre is unicursal, i.e. consisting of a single path without intersections, just like the oldest labyrinths.
The interview
What is the last book you read? And what will be the next one?
The last one: The Dry Gardening Handbook by Olivier Filippi.
The next one: Naturalistic Planting Design: The Essential Guide by Nigel Dunnett.
Your next trip?
Algarve
Favourite colour?
Dark yellow. It is a colour that brings me back to the sun and heat, to happiness, well-being and joy of life.
What is the plant that matters most to you?
Miscanthus sinensis (all varieties).
Where would you live?
In Italy. It doesn’t matter in which region, but in Italy. I love Chile and have loved it all the year I have lived there, but I can’t see any future over there.
What is your favourite historical era?
The eighteenth century, specifically the artistic current of Neoclassicism.
Can you describe in short a scene that represents “beauty and elegance” for you?
The scene where Love embraces Psyche and approaches her to kiss her. The work par excellence that represents the scene is, in my opinion, “Amore e Psiche” by Antonio Canova.
What is a garden for you?
An island of peace out of the chaos: a place to take refuge, find comfort, feel welcomed, feel protected, let yourself go, feel free; a place to admire, learn, touch, listen, hear, notice, see, observe, smell, taste.
What is the fairy tale for you?
The fairy tale, for me, is a fantastic narrative set in a magical and surreal world, characterized by particular characters and centred on paradoxical, absurd and meaningless events.
The first that came to my mind, reading the announcement, was “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, and it is also from it that I was inspired for my project.