Catalogo delle Opere 

Curator: Before us is Giovanni Battista Piranesi's "Catalogo delle Opere". While it's undated, it acts as something of a prospectus, outlining his extensive portfolio of prints. Editor: It strikes me as a beautiful, meticulously organized chaos! The scripted texts wrestle amongst different picturesque details... It’s like looking at an architect's fever dream, bubbling up from some ancient archive. Curator: Indeed, Piranesi presents a taxonomy of his works, a table of contents if you will. We see categories like "Antichita Romane," architectural fantasies, and, notably, his "Vedute di Roma"—famous views of Rome. Consider the columned structure of this "catalogue", in line with his exploration of classical forms. Editor: The very act of categorizing… I find it almost poignant, in a way. As if trying to hold onto these fading glories through order, knowing time will crumble even stone. Look how he places "Carceri d'Invenzione" apart, as he places views of Rome near more embellished details. A telling structure for the great artists' inner visions... Curator: Semiotically speaking, this is fascinating. Piranesi uses script itself as an architectural element. The aged quality of the paper underscores themes of time and preservation, acting as its own form of evidence. This plays back and forth within the different categories that overlap one another throughout the document. Editor: For me, it's that contrast that resonates deepest – between the cool, rational grid he tries to impose and the underlying wildness of the Roman ruins. Each miniature scene becomes a portal, hinting at larger stories waiting to erupt beyond the printed page. I can spend countless hours tracing how each section guides us to yet another Roman site... Curator: Precisely! We appreciate the work now in a wholly different light. Piranesi's catalogue unveils not only a sales proposition, but a deeper discourse on ruins and remembrance through skillful manipulation of media, of script. Editor: And I love the thought of it all spilling out—an endless, handwritten labyrinth in the heart of every architectural imagination! A perfect reflection on what architecture means to the eternal soul of art itself...