The Exhibitions – Italy’s and Abruzzo’s Art at and after the G8
Two art and design exhibitions have been set up at the Coppito campus for the G8 guests and will remain open to the townspeople and tourists after the Summit.
“L’Aquila bella mai non po’ perire” ("Beautiful L'Aquila Must Never Perish") celebrates L’Aquila and its history. It is a city rooted deep in time: the Lord of Amiterno, the 2nd-century Roman statue with which the itinerary begins, is but one of the best-known examples.
The exhibition uses the works of art salvaged after the earthquake – icons, paintings, frescos and religious sculptures from the 13th to the 19th century – to highlight the artistic and cultural identity of Abruzzo’s capital, and also the outstanding restoration work needed to bring these valuable relics of the past back to life. The visitor will be able to watch the restorers at work in a special section of the exhibition.
The last room, the one portraying the 45 “monuments to be rescued,” is of particular interest as well, with its striking shots presenting historic mansions, castles, towers, theatres, museums, archaeological sites, churches and monastic and monumental complexes damaged the night of 6 April this year, and which now require urgent work to restore them to their pristine glory. The Cultural Heritage Ministry is asking agencies, institutions and foreign countries to adopt them, and eminent proposals have been announced, including those made by the countries attending the G8.
The second exhibition widens the scope from L’Aquila and Abruzzo to the whole of Italy with its creativity, genius, inventiveness, taste and style.
“L’arte del saper far bene italiano” ("The Italian Art of Excellence") is devoted to the objects that have made their mark on the history of Italian and international lifestyles and culture and are widespread on the whole world’s markets, from the first Fiat 500, the vintage Vespa and the violin that belonged to Amati, who taught Stradivarius all he knew, to the latest examples of excellence in the sphere of design and the book publisher’s glassmaker’s, weaver’s and spectacle maker’s arts. Abruzzo’s pillow lace, goldware and ceramics are three crafts that have always demonstrated the region’s skills.
The exhibitions are realized thanks to the contribution of Telecom Italia.
Another exhibition which has been set up at the Coppito campus is “Before, Immediately, Tomorrow” the exhibition on the earthquake that rocked L'Aquila on 6 April.The exhibition has been curated by the Civil Protection Department and the photographs are taken from the book of the same name, "Before, Immediately, Tomorrow", which contains a collection of snapshots taken in the very first few moments after the quake of 6 April, and right up to the Pope's visit on 28 April.The exhibition focuses on the solutions envisaged to rebuild and start over again in a safe environment.
A scale model of a "seismic city" in the middle of the room reproduces the impact of an earthquake on buildings built both with and without seismic isolation. When an earthquake is simulated, the skyscraper that has not been seismically isolated starts to sway while the other one does not move.
The new homes being built under the C.A.S.E. project for the citizensof L'Aquila, who are currently housed in shelter centres after their homes were wrecked in the earthquake, are seismically isolated. A large part of the exhibition is devoted to the C.A.S.E. project and to artists' impressions showing what the new homes will look like once the project has been completed.
The exhibition also offers the visitor an experience designed to bring the earthquake home in a very vivid and powerful manner in the "seismic room". This contains a platform that reproduces the effect of one of the earthquakes which have so dramatically shaken Italy's long history.
