Gods and Monsters

  La Bestia (the beast) by Umberto & Stefano Cinquini, 

a metaphor of Berlusconi's monstrous power over Italian media

It's time again for our report from Viareggio's annual Carnival parade

of large, wild, colorful and amazing papier-mache floats. Most of the creations 

were inspired by various controversial contemporary issues. I wonder what they 

will come up with next year; they already have plenty of material to work with!

 Trilogia della ruggine, epilogo (final installment of The Rust Trilogy)

by Gilbert Lebigre & Corinne Roger. This double-sided float 

featured a decadent and lascivious Italian "operetta" on one side and 

this joyful Indian style celebration of love blessed by Ganesh on the other

the innovative La cieca umanità (Blind humanity) by Edoardo Ceragioli, 

 inspired by Picasso's Guernica, won the first prize for mask groups

musical owls and a wigged cow from two of the other mask groups

two views of Embrioni chimera (Chimera embryos) by Fabrizio Galli

L’erba di casa mia (Green grass of home) by Jacopo Allegrucci

represents Italy as a lawn peopled by bugs and praying mantis-politicians

Razze in via di estinzione (Species near extinction) by Enrico Vannucci

two views of Urla selvagge (Wild screams) by Gionata Francesconi & Giacomo Marsili

  Non essere sgomento… se la legge va a rilento!!! (Don't be dismayed... if the law goes slow!) by Alfredo Ricci

 I can't remember from which float I photographed this detail 

 La Mattanza (The slaughter) by Carlo Lombardi cautions against oil spills

detail from Abissi (The depths) by Franco Malfatti

a sequence from the winning float, the wonderfully scary Rexpubblica by Alessandro Avanzini.

These still photos give only a pale impression of the full impact of the floats in action,

 complete with moving parts, smoke and light effects, loud music and costumed dancers. 

But you can watch some of the videos on YouTube to get a better idea...