“Terra Mater”: art that unites with nature

An exhibition that aims to offer the experience of a primordial contact with nature. It is about the visual and emotional immersion in the complex relationship between individuals and nature that comes to life with Cristina Vatielli's personal photographic exhibition, entitled "Terra Mater", which will be held from 12 to 30 April in the new Supernova exhibition space, in the heart of Trastevere in Rome. At the center of the 25 shots on display the theme of the Earth's fertility emerges in relation to that of the human species. Starting from his own personal experience, the artist explores and analyzes anthropic fragility, the need for rebirth and reconnection with nature, offering the viewer an invitation to take care of themselves and the planet. The "aerial" photographs, which portray the artist's body immersed in different terrestrial landscapes, captured with the help of a drone, alternate with details, plays of light and natural elements. The photographic setup is curated by Annalisa D'Angelo, enriched by immersive installations by Ippolito Simion and Mauro Pace, sound systems by Giulio Maresca and greenery setup by Eugenia Lecca. During the exhibition period, the public will have the opportunity to participate in collateral events such as guided tours, talks and thematic meetings focused on the contents of the exhibition. A meeting with Marco Cattaneo, director of National Geographic, is scheduled for April 18th at 6.30 pm to delve deeper into the topic of climate change. A meeting is scheduled for April 23rd at 7.00 pm with Francesco Raganato, director of the docuseries "Le Fotografe" produced by Sky Original and broadcast on Sky Arte who will talk about the "Terra Mater" project in detail with the help of video images . The project, presented by the Ass. ZIP_Zone, is the winner of the Public Notice "Collection of project proposals for the creation of events, exhibitions, initiatives and projects of interest to the Capitoline Administration of city relevance" promoted by Roma Capitale in collaboration with Zètema Progetto Cultura. Cristina Vatielli, born in Rome in 1983, after studying art history and photography, began working in 2004 as an assistant for Paolo Pellegrin, specializing in image post-production. Subsequently you undertook your own personal research journey with a historical-documentary approach, sometimes resorting to the staging of events and characters. She has collaborated with the main Italian and international publications and some of her works have received recognition such as the Burn Magazine Emerging Photographer Grant, the Sony Awards and other important prizes. In 2023 SkyArte produced a documentary, part of the "Le Fotografe" series, about her career, with an in-depth analysis of the "Terra Mater" project. “The Terra Mater project explores the complex theme of human fertility in close correlation with that of our planet, highlighting the fragility of the individual in contrast with the grandeur of the Earth and the complex relationship between man and nature - declares Vatielli - The objective is to bring attention to the delicate condition of human infertility, a topic still shrouded in taboo, pushing for the urgent need to share the emotions linked to the difficulties in becoming parents and focusing on the reasons that have led to this reality. Reasons which, unfortunately, involve our lifestyle and the way we interact with the planet we call home. The photographic project was born in collaboration with Ippolito Simion, my life and work partner, with whom we created the images with the drone and for years we have been reflecting on this exhibition not only as a photographic exhibition, but as an immersive installation. In fact, the exhibition represents the fruit of significant collaborations. The union of different skills and visions makes Terra Mater not just a photographic exhibition, but an artistic and conceptual experience that invites us to reflect on the profound connection between humanity and our precious planet." (gci)

“VATTENDROPPAR”: WHEN ART IMITATES WATER

A series of canvases inspired by the movements of water that reflect on the contrast between naturalness and rigor: Cadogan Gallery has announced "Vattendroppar", the second solo exhibition by the Swedish-Mexican artist Andreas Diaz Andersson and the first hosted in the spaces of the Milanese gallery, which can be visited from April 9th ​​to May 11th. “Vattendroppar”, which means water drops in Swedish, presents a new series of works in which concentric circles constitute the main subject. The shapes, made with small straight lines sewn onto the raw canvas, are regular but at the same time naturalistic, emulating the waves that form when you drop something into water. In doing so, Diaz Andersson's works are characterized by an ambivalent nature that combines a fluid and naturalistic visual language with a geometric and ordered formalism. The exhibition will be accompanied by a sound installation, created by Diaz Andersson to complement his embroidered canvases. (gci)

THE MUSEO NOVECENTO IN FLORENCE CELEBRATES TEN YEARS WITH “RETURNS”

The Museo Novecento in Florence celebrates ten years since its inauguration in 2014 by hosting “Ritorni. From Modigliani to Morandi”, a major exhibition dedicated to the history of one of his most prized collections: the Alberto Della Ragione Collection. The exhibition, conceived by the director of the Museo Novecento Sergio Risaliti and curated by Eva Francioli, Chiara Toti and Sergio Risaliti himself, will be open to visitors from 23 March to 15 September in the rooms of the former Leopoldine on the second floor of the museum. There is also great anticipation for the arrival of a masterpiece by Amedeo Modigliani at the Museo Novecento. The Self-Portrait of Modì painted by the painter from Livorno, one of the most valued works in the world, reaches Florence on the occasion of the exhibition, which brings together for the first time around fifteen works by great masters of the Italian twentieth century that belonged to Alberto Della Ragione. Along with the legendary Self-Portrait by Modì, Morandi's Metaphysical Still Life, Carrà's Enchanted Camera and Guttuso's great Crucifixion will be exhibited, all loans of inestimable historical-artistic value from the great Italian and foreign museums. (gci) 

AT CASTEL IVANO (TN) THE SHOTS OF JOEL-PETER WITKIN AND ROGER BALLEN

An exhibition which, through works often described as provocative and disturbing, seeks to encourage the exploration of the unconscious mind through photography and to offer a more in-depth vision that highlights Joel-Peter Witkin and Roger Ballen's relationship with Surrealism and the history of photography . It is "The Uncanny Lens/ La Lente Inquietante", an exhibition curated by Fortunato d'Amico which presents, for the first time in a diptych, the photographic works that retrace decades of the careers of the two contemporary masters. The exhibition will be held from March 16th to April 13th in Castel Ivano (TN). Both artists are known for their distinctive and unconventional approach to black and white photography, the human condition, the psyche and the grotesque. The reference to the "uncanny" in this exhibition is twofold: it refers to the intrinsic quality of the works themselves, as well as the strange and extraordinary visual relationships that the comparison triggers. The exhibition project reveals a profound dialogue established over the years between the two artists and it is precisely in the juxtaposition of their photographs that a clearer understanding of their unique aesthetic is obtained through the stylistic and iconographic references to myth and fantasy and a more in-depth appreciation of surrealist photography. (gci) 

IN SEARCH OF SIMPLICITY WITH “ORIGIN OF SIMPLICITY”

An unprecedented cultural reading of Japanese design: the exhibition “ORIGIN of SIMPLICITY. 20 Visions of Japanese Design” is a transversal look between design and craftsmanship to understand the origins of the concept of simplicity, now declinable as emptiness (ku), space or silence (ma), sometimes readable as poverty (wabi) and consumption linked to use over time (sabi), others such as asymmetry, non-definition and imperfection. The exhibition, curated by Rossella Menegazzo with an installation and graphic design by Kenya Hara and production by ADI Design Museum, will be hosted by the ADI Design Museum in Milan from 23 March to 9 June. In the exhibition itinerary there are over 150 works, many never before presented in Italy, designed by the most representative names of modern and contemporary design, who have marked the history of Japanese design starting from the 1960s, but also exponents of the latest generations, less known to the international public. (gci)