Memories of a Young (at the time) Art Historian

How could one not be drawn to the delicate, multicoloured mechanisms created by Elena Guaccero? I remember them vividly from when, as a young boy, I was occasionally invited to their home at the Zattere by Anna Maria and Alessandra. I was very attracted to these objects, which blended beautifully – arranged almost casually here and there – in the beautiful architectural spaces, undoubtedly designed and defined with care by the skilled hand of the architect Elena Guaccero, who, among other things, was trained as an architect and had followed a certain artistic path early in her career. From time to time during these sporadic encounters, Elena would appear, perhaps during breaks from her assembly work. She observed us discreetly and was always a woman of few words. With a father who was deeply rooted in Bari, my curiosity led me to want to talk to her about Bari, as I knew she came from Apulia.

At that point, however, at least as far as I was concerned, the curtain of silence fell inexorably. These are reactions that I might be able to better deal with today. Having come to understand this reality, which is also part of my own origins, I realise how difficult it must have been for Elena to sustain her role as an architect in that city, which was so male-dominated and closed to women and culture at the time when she was starting out as a designer and achieving her first successes, such as the construction of the RAI headquarters in Bari, now a highly acclaimed piece of architecture.

Her only hope was to embark on a one-way journey to another reality, in her case Venice, where she eventually started a family and had two daughters who could not help but see her as the ideal, serene mother who was always there for them. Except for ensuring herself the playful leisure of being able to devote herself to creative activity, which ironically became more congenial to her, as it was the one that discreetly and passionately truly involved her for the rest of her life.

Saverio Simi