ANGELO PONTECORBOLI EDITORE

The term “Maestro” derives from the eponymous Italian word meaning “master” or “teacher”. It also refers to mentoring and respect. Not surprisingly, it is often applied to visual artists, musicians, and – above all – conductors (hence the image of Arturo Toscanini in this announcement). Today, the role of the conductor has changed. The same is true of such musical notions as rhythm and ‘tempo’. For one thing, the aura of a single, authoritative (sometimes even authoritarian) figure on the podium has dissipated in favor of other, more open and creative forms of teaching, leading, and rhythm-giving. The architectural journal ‘Il Quaderno’ selects articles on the manifold connotations of the word “Maestro” in this field of the visual arts. Rather than focusing on “dead masters” the contributions creatively reflect on the idea of the “Maestro”: as a teacher, for instance, as a form of inspiration, and as a way of learning. For this issue of IL QUADERNO we juxtaposed the term maestro with the symbol # with the clear attempt to put side by side something analogic, classic and something digital, contemporary. The verticality of the traditional transfer of knowledge embedded in the term MAESTRO and the horizontality of today’s web based free access to endless data.