Sparked by a passion for flying, “Flying over Garda” is a graphic work from 2022 but whose sketch can be found in Agenda 1996. It stems from a critique of man’s approach to nature at times.
From the airstrip in Valeggio sul Mincio, it took me seven minutes to reach Peschiera. The water of Lake Garda, as usual when the sky is clear, was emerald green. At a thousand feet, below me, the splendid Venetian fortifications surrounded by canals that make the town almost an island. I performed the usual checks before bringing the engine to idle and “spiraling,” with a smooth and continuous turn, until a meter from the water.
In this low flight, I wanted to land next to the fortress in the Gulf of Garda, contemplate the scenery, and inhale the air in search of traces of calicanthus, which would confirm the end of winter. However, at the “crosswind” of Bardolino, I began to notice strange dark spots on the shore that disrupted the familiar harmony. New construction sites? Protective tarps? As I got closer, I could make out the source of the ugliness—it was square-shaped black umbrellas. Fortunately, fifteen days later, they were replaced with more colorful ones.