“Why are you silent,
child of Modena,
and yesterday’s game,
why did you not continue?
It’s no longer yesterday:
I saw the riot police
firing on our fathers.

It’s no longer yesterday, it’s no longer the same:
I saw, and now I know so much.
I know that one morning
you can die
at the factory gates,
and on the machine of the dead,
workers drape the tricolor flag.”

The Child of Modena, Gianni Rodari

On January 9, 1950, police fired into a crowd during a protest, killing six people: Angelo Appiani, Renzo Bersani, Arturo Chiappelli, Ennio Garagnani, Arturo Malagoli, and Roberto Rovatti.

The installation takes the form of a small cast iron scale, an emblematic material once processed in the former United Foundries of Modena.
This simple yet deeply symbolic object becomes a marker of collective memory, evoking the massacre that took place in this location and offering a reflection on the cyclical nature of history.

On the two plates of the scale is engraved a phrase from Gianni Rodari’s poem The Child of Modena, which poetically bears witness to the tragic events. The inscriptions, arranged in a pattern reminiscent of the infinity symbol, suggest a profound and unbreakable connection between past and present, warning us of the eternal repetition of historical dynamics.

Through the scale, the artwork becomes a conceptual “portal,” capable of linking memory and awareness. It invites us to reflect on how the events of the past continue to resonate in our present, calling for attention and responsibility.

Thanks to Massimo, Marco and Cristina for their time, energy, and technical support.

The installation is part of the Mutina Mutandis project, curated by the Modena Sobborghi Association in collaboration with the Modena Historical Institute and sponsored by the Municipality of Modena, and financed by European fundings.