Creature Fantastiche

Animali tra mito e realtà da Dürer a Cracking Art

Palazzo Assessorile, Cles

9 July - 16 October2022

The exhibition “Fantastic Creatures: animals between myth and reality from Dürer to Cracking Art”, curated by Lucia Barison, opened on July 9. The exhibition consists of bizarre and fantastic creatures and aims to tell the story of the ancient, symbolic and evocative power of animals in history and art, juxtaposing naturalistic objects and modern and contemporary works Fogolini’s 16th- century frescoes. As a matter of fact, Fogolino’s bizarre and imaginative grotesques inside the Assessorile Palace reveal a universe of mythological and extravagant creatures that is amplified by the works on display. The goal was to create a place of wonder, magical and unexpected. The exhibition begins with a focus in the representation of animals by artists from various eras, some of whom are cornerstones of art history, such as, for example, Guercino, Albrecht Dürer, Renato Gottuso, Giorgio de Chirico, Pablo Picasso, Alighiero Boetti, Giacomo Balla, Fortunato Depero. Then, it continues with a juxtaposition between Fagolini’s frescoes and contemporary art, thanks to the presence of regional artists, but not only. Some of the artists in the exhibition are represented by the gallery: Federico Lanaro, Willy Verginer, Laurina Paperina, David Aaron Angeli, Angelo Maisto, Jan Knapp, Denis Riva. The works are associated with odd objects and historical naturalistic finds, such as some taxidermies specimens from the early 20th century, thus creating a kind of Wunderkammer, capable of provoking thoughts and curiosity. The exhibition then leaves the exhibition halls and spills out into the historic center of Cles, thanks to the colorful works of the Cracking Art movement, also illuminated at night.

Foto: Francesca Padovan