Parole che curano

Words, books, literature, poetry, theater, and art in all its forms have always been refuges and safe havens. In a challenging period like that caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the cultural world has responded with an extraordinary explosion of creativity, proposing new formats, new languages, and new channels to share its offerings.

In 2020, the City of Lugano decided to launch the "Parole che curano" (Words that heal) awareness campaign related to the coronavirus emergency, aiming to stay close to its citizens through the emotional power of words. As many as 45 authors - including poets and narrators from Italian-speaking Switzerland, as well as figures active in Swiss theater - responded to the City's call and offered unpublished texts, often written for the occasion, as well as poems or excerpts from their recent works. Their aim was to help the population look beyond the walls of their homes, into nature, onto streets coming back to life, and towards a renewed desire for connection. Words are displayed on posters in various districts of Lugano: they accompany citizens, holding their hands as they step out of their homes and gradually reclaim their city. As people walk and cross Lugano, the words of poets, narrators, dancers, choreographers, actors, directors, playwrights, a clown, and theater companies emerge. The posters form a welcoming, healing forest of panels: with their intensity, the words offer messages of hope and beauty that help people look to the future with confidence, while they await the opportunity to read together again and to once more experience the city's cultural spaces and events.

The graphic design of the posters combines two cheerful colors in alternation: purple text on an orange background or orange text on a purple background. It is an outdoor exhibition for everyone, inviting people to pause while simultaneously welcoming and encouraging them. The invitation is also to be inspired and to share your own words using the hashtags #laculturacura and #distantimavicini.

"Parole che curano," conceived by the Divisione Cultura (Culture Division) in collaboration with the Ufficio comunicazione (Communications Office) of the Divisione Comunicazione e relazioni istituzionali (Communication and Institutional Relations Division) of the City of Lugano, is a version of the awareness campaign "Lugano, la Città ti è vicina. Insieme sarà più facile" (Lugano, the City is close to You. Together it will be easier) related to the coronavirus emergency, aimed at showing solidarity and closeness to the population. "Parole che curano" is also one of the first actions of the "Cultura e Salute" (Culture and Health) project of the Divisione Cultura.

The authors who collaborated on the project, to whom the City of Lugano extends its deep gratitude, are (in alphabetical order): Valerio Abbondio, Laura Accerboni, Prisca Agustoni, Fabiano Alborghetti, Fabio Andina, Antonio Ballerio, Yari Bernasconi, Andrea Bertagni, Andrea Bianchetti, Aurelio Buletti, Agostino Colombo, Daniele Dell'Agnola, Pietro De Marchi, Angela Dematté, Laura Di Corcia, Lorena Dozio, Andrea Fazioli, Begoña Feijoo Fariña, Anna Felder, Matteo Ferretti, Compagnia Finzi Pasca, Massimo Gezzi, Virginia Helbling, Alexandre Hmine, Yasmine Hugonnet, Gardi Hutter, Gilberto Isella, Fabio Jermini, Elena Jurissevich, Pierre Lepori, Alessandro Martini, Pietro Montorfani, Gerry Mottis, Alberto Nessi, Giorgio Orelli, Enzo Pelli, Ugo Petrini, Fabio Pusterla, Milo Rau, Carmelo Rifici, Rimini Protokoll, Carlo Silini, Tommaso Soldini, Flavio Stroppini, Matteo Terzaghi, Trickster-p.