International Carlo Scarpa Prize for Gardens 2023-2024 Sculptural Space of Pedregal de San Ángel

We invite you to be informed about International Carlo Scarpa Prize for Gardens 2023-2024 Sculptural Space of Pedregal de San Ángel, by team Landuum.

On Monday, October 7, 2024, the activities for the 2023-2024 Carlo Scarpa International Prize for Gardens were presented as part of the UNAM Cultural Festival. The exhibition “The Sculptural Space in the Pedregal de San Ángel, Mexico City” was also inaugurated, located in the lobby of the Faculty of Architecture.

The ceremony took place at the Lilia Margarita Guzmán y García Library at. The panel was composed of Dr. Silke Cram, Executive Secretary of REPSA; Dr. Juan Ignacio del Cueto, Director of the Faculty of Architecture; Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas, Rector of the National Autonomous University of Mexico; Landscape Architect Luigi Latini, Director of the Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche; and Juan Ayala, Technical Secretary of Planning and Programming.

Inicio de ceremonia / The beginning of the ceremony
Fotografía / Photography: Alejandra Roldán Villegas

The Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche, based in Treviso, is dedicated to researching cultural and natural heritage on a global scale, including the study of landscapes. For 33 years, they have awarded the Carlo Scarpa International Prize for Gardens to promote the protection of landscapes. In its 33rd edition, the Sculptural Space at UNAM, located in the Ecological Reserve of the Pedregal de San Ángel, was awarded. Patrizia Boschiero, the prize coordinator, speaks about its impact on heritage preservation:

“Without a doubt, the Carlo Scarpa International Prize for Gardens is one of our most significant initiatives at the Benetton Foundation. It is an international project, and for each edition of this prize, we organize an important study trip with our scientific committee, which includes art historians, landscape architects, agronomists, and botanists. This diversity of experts allows us to approach the landscape from various perspectives on each occasion.”

And regarding the discovery of the landscape during this research, she comments:

Each opportunity allows us to explore different cultures, as each place serves as a symbol representing key aspects of the landscape culture of that country. Through this prize, we seek to promote a deeper understanding of landscape culture, not only among specialists but also among ordinary people. We believe that landscape culture is vital to everyone, and awareness of landscape quality is essential for our lives today, throughout history, and for the future.”

“We believe that landscape culture is vital to everyone, and awareness of landscape quality is essential for our lives today, throughout history, and for the future.”

Mamparas explicativas / Explanatory panels
Fotografía / Photography: Alejandra Roldán Villegas

The activities of the UNAM Cultural Festival related to the Carlo Scarpa International Prize included the premiere in Mexico of the documentary “Pedregal: The Story of the Sculptural Space”, directed by Davide Gambino.

This documentary is an artistic tool for disseminating and communicating what the prize and the foundation celebrate, especially since it conveys the foundation’s perspective on the landscape of the Sculptural Space. It emphasizes not only the appreciation of this landscape but also invites us to feel a connection with it.

You can watch a segment of this documentary

Additionally, the activities included a colloquium featuring important figures such as Luigi Latini, Pedro Camarena, Silke Cram, Louise Noelle, Juan Ignacio del Cueto, and Isaura González, all of whom were involved in the research of the landscape as well as in the production of the documentary and the book “The Sculptural Space and the Landscape of the Pedregal de San Ángel, México. Carlo Scarpa International Prize for Gardens 2023-2024.” This book was presented at the Italian Cultural Institute in Coyoacán.

Mamparas explicativas / Explanatory panels
Fotografía / Photography: Alejandra Roldán Villegas

Regarding these two elements of dissemination and the ability to convey a message to other cities about landscape preservation, Patrizia Boschiero also tells us:

“Each place, no matter where it is in the world, especially those rich in art, nature, and ecology, offers valuable lessons for other places. The content we include in the book about Pedregal also highlights other locations worth knowing, preserving, and considering in terms of their quality.”

“I believe that the key aspects are dissemination and inclusion. To achieve this dissemination, we use various methods, including books, press contact, exhibitions, and documentaries.”

Sketch del Espacio Escultórico / Sketch of the Sculptural Space
Fotografía / Photography: Alejandra Roldán Villegas

We spoke with Luigi Latini, landscape architect and director of the Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche, who played a key role in this award. Given his experience, we asked him what motivated him to become a landscape architect.

“As an Italian, it was primarily curiosity, because when I was young, there was no possibility of a school. Over time, I looked for courses, worked, and met people, and then I started with a firm in Florence. It was after 10 years that I secured a position at the University of Venice.”

“I really enjoy the profession; it is a job “against the current” because, as I mentioned before, in Latin American countries, the sensitivity towards the landscape among public institutions is somewhat complicated, as well as with private clients.”

Additionally, as the coordinator of this significant foundation for the landscape, we asked him, “What message would you like to convey to other cities around the world about the importance of preserving landscapes?” To which he responded:

“Work more with people, the community, and grassroots organizations, as the challenge of care and maintenance lies in the meeting between people, architects or technicians, and social issues. It is essential to collaborate with young people who want to transform the landscape as a collective effort.”

Espacio escultórico / Sculptural space
Fotografía / Photography: Alejandra Roldán Villegas

On October 9, we attended a tour of the Sculptural Space, led by Landscape Architect Pedro Camarena. There, we met the sculptor Hersúa, an important artist in the history of this landscape, known for designing the circle of inclined prisms that contain the gravel, which was once volcanic lava.

Starting the tour, Hersúa told us that he always envisioned this space for the people living in Mexico City. It was about providing a natural area amid a city full of buildings, a space of “solitude” and “silence” to escape everything from the outside, also referencing the innate feeling of relaxation that nature evokes in humans.

Regarding the sculpture of prisms, he shared a metaphor comparing it to life, emphasizing that it is cyclical and even “infinite”, considering the processes of nature and spirituality.

Recorriendo con el artista Hersúa / Touring with the artist Hersúa
Fotografía / Photography: Alejandra Roldán Villegas

The day of the award concluded with a guided visit to the expansion of the Ecological Reserve of the Pedregal de San Ángel at the Anahuacalli Museum, led by Mauricio Rocha in Coyoacán.

Finally, the Director of the Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche, Luigi Latini, and the coordinator of the Carlo Scarpa International Prize for Gardens, Patrizia Boschiero, responded to the question of which elements they considered essential for awarding the Carlo Scarpa Prize to the landscape of the Sculptural Space in the Pedregal de San Ángel as the winner.

Luigi Latini: In simple terms, the intersection between ecology and art was interesting, which is a contemporary issue. At first, I believe artists were not very interested in ecology; it was more of a symbolic space, symbolic of emptiness and the center. Now, that symbolic space has completely different contents. There is the possibility of working in the field of ecology, with an interest in biodiversity and an aesthetic sensitivity, not just a scientific one.”

Patrizia Boschiero: “There are different elements, and of course, for us, the Sculptural Space is a significant work of art, but it also serves a function that helps people. It helps students, teachers, and others become more aware of the quality of nature in the Pedregal.”

“Through art and sculpture, a sense of responsibility towards the landscape is fostered. This is closely related to the history of the formation of the ecological reserve of the Pedregal de San Ángel and the evolution of public perception of the Pedregal, from “malpaís” (terrain composed of fragmented volcanic rocks) to becoming a place of high quality in terms of art, architecture, and culture for UNAM. All these factors contribute to the quality of the Sculptural Space from the perspective of the Carlo Scarpa International Prize.”

The Carlo Scarpa International Prize and the work of the Benetton Foundation are essential in our professional field. We warmly invite you to learn about their work and encourage our followers and readers to explore the Sculptural Space of the Pedregal de San Ángel, a Native Landscape that merges art and culture, offering a space for contemplation and appreciation.

We sincerely thank the Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche, Luigi Latini, and Patrizia Boschiero for granting us an interview and, above all, for sharing their knowledge and hard work in these important activities of research and dissemination of landscapes.

We would also like to thank Architect Pedro Camarena for the invitation to the Landuum Paisaje magazine to this valuable event. To the Ecological Reserve of the Pedregal and its Executive Secretary Silke Cram for allowing us to get to know the REPSA, and to the coordination team of the UNAM Cultural Festival for bringing us these events that connect us as a community.