INSPIRATIONS

Winning. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict can be seen from different perspectives. Two, in particular, are perpendicular to each other. The first is the subjective view of the soldiers, a man-high, horizontal, moving view. The second is the subjective of drones, an overhead, vertical view, stabilised by satellites. The first vision scans the horizon to be conquered, the second frames it as a target. The perpendicularity of the views is reminiscent of those in action video games, the ‘kill-em-ups’: a dash to find the enemy and a map where to find him to take him out. The virtual game resets the dramatic dimension of reality by focusing on achieving victory. We enjoy winning a lot, not just pretending, more than anything, from the real thing.

Real. Or false. Right or wrong. Good or bad. Win or lose. Who knows how we got into this mechanism, a dualism that demands a lot of energy and generates conflict: maintaining an acceptable balance is challenging and does not lead to lasting results. Given the often disastrous effects, the debate could be shifted to a purely immaterial level, including wars. An abstract space, a virtual room where they can continue to misunderstand each other and beat each other at will like in a video game. That way we can save ourselves the blood and mud of real life and, perhaps, think about more noble business.

Business. That is, exchange of goods or services. It is such a human activity that it seems to belong only to us. Instead, other living species practice it, among them, wasps. The little ones in the nest are fed by the adults, who receive a sugary slime in return. The larvae release the liquid as a reward for ‘room service’. The phenomenon is known as trophallaxis a way of exchanging food, sweetness and cuddles all at once. Exchange produces collective trust, keeps the internal social system in balance and feeds a virtuous circle.

Virtuous. So was Niccolò Paganini, the famous Genoese musician, but no less so was Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù the luthier who built the two violins that belonged to the maestro between 1742 and 1743. The incredible skills of the musician and craftsman are a shining example. They illuminate the fact that knowing what one’s virtue is and expressing it is important and necessary, it is good for those who have virtue and for all those who can enjoy its effects. The names of the violins? The first is ‘Carrodus’, the second is ‘Cannone’ (Cannon) named by Paganini himself for its sonorous power. Today, tools are invaluable. The ‘Cannon’, for example, is estimated at eighty million euro. Virtue is transformed into value and goes far beyond its tangible meaning.

Tangibile. True, ours is an insecure world where deep-seated injustices and nasty viruses coexist, a tiring and unpredictable place. This uncertainty justifies the search for parallel worlds and the creation of immaterial ones where everything could be easier and perhaps fairer. Yet, it is through matter that we are able to make masterpieces and miracles. As long as an alternative is an abstraction, it is still not revolution.