Venice, a city with open arms

Organized as part of the Ocean Fellowship 2020, by Barbara Casavecchia (mentor) and Pietro Consolandi (fellow) in particular, "Walking (the) trajectories: Venice as a model for the future?" is a program of touring talks aimed at visualizing some of the themes that shape the “Oceans in Transformation” exhibition by Territorial Agency, within the context of Venice itself.

17:15 free guided tour of the exhibition "Territorial Agency: Oceans in Transformation"

18:00 "Walking (The) Trajectories: Venice as a model for the future?"

.*The walks take place also in case of bad weather.

One of the great phenomena of our time, inevitably linked to climatic and geopolitical changes, is migration. Venice, a crossroads and meeting point throughout history, hosts both large and small communities from around Europe and the Mediterranean, as well as from the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Hamed Ahmadi, restaurateur and founder of the Orient Experience restaurants, leads us through his experiences, allowing us to reflect on how the theme of hospitality is linked to the city and its collective structure, from the legacy of associationism and mutual aid of the great “Schools” of the past, right up to the systems that are active in the present day. Walking from San Lorenzo to Cannaregio, we will intertwine stories of migration and Venetian life, asking ourselves how individual memories, an entire cultural heritage, and many possible forms of care are expressed through the daily preparation of food.

Hamed Ahmadi is an Afghan restaurateur, now a Venetian for many years, and owner of 5 venues in the Veneto region, including Orient Experience and Africa Experience in Cannaregio and Dorsoduro. He arrived in Venice in 2005 at the age of 25, to present the film Maama, Buddha, the girl and the water at the Venice Film Festival, obtaining refugee status after receiving threats for his film work. He later worked as a cultural and linguistic mediator for the Municipality of Venice in Tessera, before founding Orient Experience in 2012. Over the years, his restaurants have employed many refugees, helping them to build a life in Venice. Together, they have composed a menu that collects recipes inspired by their travels, connecting Afghanistan to Italy via Iran, Turkey and Greece.