Dressed for the Palace

Claudio Nobbio

To somebody it may seem
that one of the buildings
in Campo Santa Margherita
in Venice
has too naked
its façade
so it is necessary
to dress it up
I can follow you
up to now
Slovene artist
I think of Christo
who, helped by his wife
packs the deserts
but why
do you want to cover
this palace
Maybe because it has been
some executioner's palace
and the headquarters of DC.
With the clothes of the Venetians
of all Venetians
Any dress a number of centimetres
of the palace
all the uniforms
of all the professions
of the Venetians
will be needed
to cover this façade
a gondoliere's dress
a confectioner's
a coalman's
a chemist's
an innkeeper's
a dustman's
a duke's
an unemployed's
an employed's
woman's
man's
bisexual's
black-and-white's
sacristan's
archbishop's
waiter's
doge's
tourist guide's
photographer's
chef's
washdisher's
hairdresser's
student's
house-painter's
gardener's
graphic's
meddler's
Sarah's
Sabrina's
Luciana's
Deborah's
Manuela's
Giordano's
Bruno's
Bianca's
All categories will be necessary
and the façade will be covered with colours
at Campo Santa Margherita
I'm sitting in a cafeteria
one of the many student ones
the only one open at night
I'm taking some notes down
the list of those who undressed
Now everybody is naked
at Campo Santa Margherita
they have given their clothes
to dress the palace up
There's only me left
customer of the cafeteria
the waitresses
the bartender
the owner
Let's start with me
I unlace my shoes and take them off
and the sockets with the image
of Corto Maltese
I take my tie off
Slovene artist
do you need other clothes
I take off my jacket
the shirt
the T-shirt
I slip off my belt
my trousers
and the underpants
I move on the side
of the naked Venetians
staring at the moon
and waiting for the inauguration
of the new façade
now dressed
Then the artist
will autograph our skin
with his red brush
and will give us a jewel for piercing
you can hang wherever you like
We are artworks now
shame
no shame
exhibition
no exhibition
everyone buys themselves for the second time
and receives a cloak
and a tricorn hat
as a present
to avoid being fined
when
going back home
I'll pass through the calli
the campi
the campielli
the porticoes
While at the Giardini
the Biennale
of young artists
is being opened
multiethnic
some debuting
It is the first time for us as well
we are artworks
of our own nakedness the first time
that the palace of the former DC
becomes the work of art
of its wearabily
Now that I am an artwork
examined
recognized
registered
stamped on
advertised
made authentic
graduated
I switch the TV on