calendar

Wednesday, March 8th

630 pm [LA]
book: 'Las Vegas and the Virtual Grand Tour'
IIC- LA (1023 Hilgard Avenue; Westwood)
info: 323-443-3250; losangeles@iicusa.org
detail: On the occasion of the International Woman's Day, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura dedicates an evening to women writers with a presentation of recent publications. In Dreaming of Italy (University of Nevada Press, 2005), Giovanna Franci, Professor of Anglo-American Literature and Culture at the University of Bologna, compares three Las Vegas Italian-themed resorts Caesars Palace, Bellagio, and The Venetian, to their Italian counterparts: the ancient Forum of the Caesars, the breathtaking Lake Como resort town of Bellagio, and Venice, jewel of the Adriatic. Franci not only examines architectural features and decorative details of these Italian sites but considers how their mystique has been transplanted to the Nevada desert. In the process, she addresses the compelling phenomenon of modern mass tourism and postmodern travelers to whom the distinction between the real and the fake is often far less important than the appeal of a destination that allows the visitor to make a virtual Grand Tour within the confines of single city. The acute observation of the author, as pointed out by Umberto Eco, offers unique insights into the trends and intentions behind recent development in Las Vegas. She shows how the builders of these three casinos use architectural language to unite themes and functions of American consumer culture. In this context, Las Vegas emerges then a far more then a popular tourist icon. It is rather the first urban spectacle of the postmodern world, a chameleon-like city continuously reinventing itself to offer visitors ever changing and an unflagging array of experiences, sensations and hedonistic delights. The photographs in the volume by Federico Zignani bring to life the physical details and idyllic ambiance of the lavish Las Vegas resorts and their Italian inspirations.

7 pm [LA]
lecture: 'Ethics and Morality in Architecture'
SCI-Arc (350 Merrick Street; downtown LA)
info: 213-613-2200
detail: Stanley Tigerman [Principal, Tigerman McCurry Architects; Chicago].