Five mosaic benches, realised in collaboration with the Art Institute on the occasion of Biennale del Mosaico 2015, have become permanent urban furniture along the city streets.
Purchased by the Municipality of Ravenna, the benches are the product of an artistic project carried out in collaboration with Social Sofa Ltd, a small Dutch community in Tilburg, with the aim of stimulating the social rehabilitation of the unemployed and destitute.
Assisted by mosaic artists, members of the Dutch community created the sofas decorated with tiles and inspired by internationally renowned artists such as painter Vincent van Gogh and stylist Paul Smith.
The five works were placed along the Darsena promenade and in the courtyard of Palazzo Rasponi dalle Teste.
Alongside these works, four similar ones were created by the students of the Nervi-Severini school of art of Ravenna and two of which were placed in Via Salara, in the historical centre of the city.
The benches were called “the benches of dialogue”, and have become a symbol of an important moment of encounter and exchange among generations, citizens and different cultures.
