Venice considers electronic billboards in St Mark's Square

by Nikki Sandison, Brand Republic 01-Sep-08, 10:15

LONDON - City councillors in Venice are considering installing five giant electronic advertising billboards in 900-year-old St Mark's Square to pay for a six-year restoration project.

The 2,250 square feet screens would be positioned on the facades of buildings to hide the restoration work and to raise money to help pay for it.

Venice city council, the officials responsible for St Mark's and two companies who are set to carry out the work have begun talks about the restoration project.

Advertising hoardings are currently banned from the square which is seen as the centre of Venice and a key tourist attraction with visitors coming to admire the Basilica of St Mark, the 325ft belltower and the Doge's Palace.

It is understood that the subject matter of the ads on the screens will be carefully considered and proposals will be submitted and then considered before being given the go ahead.

Restoration work has been planned since the 1950s on the Marciana Library, the Mint and the Napoleonic Wing of the Procuraties, which is mostly occupied by cafes and bars.

Massimo Cacciari, the mayor of Venice, said: "It is neither ugly nor beautiful but simply necessary. We are forced to move in this way because we have limited resources."

However a leading art critic Philippe Daverio has called it a "perverse plan" claiming that the works will be prolonged just so that they can profit from the screens.

Comments

HARVEY GLENN - 08/09/2008

As the exclusive agents for this screen I would like to put the record straight! We shall be launching a single 250m2 digital screen at the end of 2008 on the Correr Museun in St Marks Square. This will be the only screen and indeed the only advertising in the piazza for 6 years. We are looking for a launch partner for this so please check out our website : plakativ-media.co.uk for more information