How many games can you play with a chair?
The Patafisic Garden is a collection of interactive installations scattered throughout the city of Potenza, inspired by Pataphysics, the science of imaginary solutions theorized by Alfred Jarry.
The object that serves as the common thread for all the installations is the chair, a symbol of rest, pause, but also of work, conviviality, and welcome, inviting others to take a seat and spend time together.
The installations of the Patafisic Garden result from participatory design involving children, youths, teachers, parents, educators, operators, and neighborhood committees. They collaborated with La luna al guinzaglio, the artistic collective responsible for co-designing and implementing the works, to transform old chairs into games to be installed throughout the city.
In this gallery, disused wooden chairs have been transformed into 9 gaming tables, featuring games originating from various parts of the world, from ancient Rome to Polynesia.
The participants were involved in gaming sessions and research on ancient board games, and 8 board games were selected to be reproduced on the seats: Alquerque, Egara Guti, Mehen, Mu Torere, Mulino, Petteia, Shisima and Tris.
The Patafisic Garden is part of “Un, Due, tre…Stelle!” (One, Two, Three…Stars!), a project by the Social Cooperative Centostrade, supported by Fondazione Con i Bambini and with the training of the Italian Federation CEMEA.