The Kiss Bridge was born from a deep reflection on the concept of connection. Instead of a bridge capable of connecting two points from A to B, the project aims to create an emotion by building an infrastructure capable of symbolising the desire to meet, to unite, to kiss.
This is how the Kiss Bridge came into being, consisting of two large, curving arms which, after a sloping section of over 400 metres, reach a height of 16 metres above sea level in the central spans, touching each other without joining.
Their physical distance, only 50 centimetres, does not allow people to pass from one side to the other, forcing them to reach out to touch, shake hands, or for a kiss. This separation is the deeper meaning of this work, which joins not physically but virtually, transferring positive energy from one side to the other. It evokes the image of the outstretching of the fingers of the hands in Michelangelo’s ‘Creazione di Adamo’ in the Cappella Sistina.
The inspiration for the bridge comes from the Vietnamese legend Ông Ngâu Bà Ngâu. The legend tells of the impossible love between a goddess and a human being. The feeling of the two lovers is so strong that the emperor allows them to meet only once a year on a magic bridge created by a flock of birds. The goddess and the man will love each other without ever touching, a platonic union typical of great loves that resist forced distances.
The work, evocative and symbolic, offers the opportunity to create a place for people to meet, but also ideally to connect two different cultures and experiences.
A bridge that does not reach the other side may perhaps seem superfluous, however, think how extraordinary it can be to arrive on either end just to kiss the one you want, just to kiss each other with the sun setting in the middle. I hope that this work will add an unforgettable experience to the life of each person who visits this place.

Marco Casamonti