Apart from the exhibition ‘The School of Bernini and the Roman Baroque’, which will be presented at the National Museum in Belgrade on 7th March, the Italian Cultural Institute will offer other exhibitions of diversified genres throughout the year
It is well known that the Italian Peninsula is home to much of the world’s great historic art and architecture and that Italy was at the forefront of artistic development during the Renaissance and the flourishing of the Baroque style, but also that modern art thrived in the country.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Italian artistic movements flourished amid the European artistic scene, like Futurism, led by the poet Filippo Marinetti and painters Umberto Boccioni and Giacomo Balla, followed by the metaphysical paintings of Giorgio de Chirico and then many other movements that characterised the artistic life of the last century, like Novecento Italiano, surrealism, classical modernism of the 20th century, Arte Povera, Transavantgarde, to name just a few.
The country’s contemporary art scene is also vibrant and features exhibitions and permanent collections housed in architecturally avant-garde spaces. Venice led the way by hosting one of the most important contemporary art events in the world every other year, the Art Biennale, and other cities have developed their own contemporary art scenes, like Rome for example, with its two dedicated museums, MAXXI and MACRO.
“Inspired by Italy”, an exhibition presenting artworks from the collection of the Gallery of Matica Srpska in Novi Sad, will feature works of 18th- and 19th-century artists who were inspired by Italy
Apart from The School of Bernini and the Roman Baroque, which will be presented at the National Museum in Belgrade on 7th March, the Institute will offer other exhibitions of diversified genres throughout the year. In April, the Institute will host Artistic encounters-dialogic in visual, where Italy’s Anita Cerpelloni and Serbia’s Gordana Kaljalović will present their interpretation of the book.
In May, to celebrate the Italian Film Festival, Alfredo Pirri will inaugurate his Serbian version of the surprising installation Passi at the Yugoslav Film Archives Cinematheque, after having presented it at many major venues throughout Italy, a work consisting of large pieces of mirrored flooring meant to be broken by the walking visitors, to represent ‘steps’ in constant dialogue with the surrounding architecture.
In October the Institute will host a tribute to Luigi Di Sarro, an artist who was active in Italy in the 1960s and ‘70s, known for his strong experimental vocation in a period that is recognised today as fundamental to the innovative challenges brought to contemporary art.
Finally, in November, the Institute will host Inspired by Italy, an exhibition presenting artworks from the collection of the Gallery of Matica Srpska in Novi Sad, featuring works of 18th- and 19th-century artists who were inspired by Italy in various ways.