Recently, national treasures from Italy have been soothing with the beauty of art. After showcasing the stunning beauty of the Uffizi self-portrait, the boundless creativity of modern and contemporary art and design masterpieces, and Italy's outstanding achievements in various fields of art and culture, a major sculpture exhibition brings the essence of Greco-Roman aesthetics to Shanghai.
"A Land of Beauty: Exhibition from the Collection of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples" Love and Beauty section
Recently, the annual closing exhibition of the Pudong Art Museum "Stunning Beauty: Treasures of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples" kicked off. This exhibition is the first large-scale collaboration between the National Archaeological Museum of Naples and a Chinese institution of modern and contemporary art. It is a grand display of ancient Roman civilization more than 2,000 years ago, and it is remarkable that many of the Italian national treasures in the exhibition are the first to leave the country to participate in overseas exhibitions.
"Reclining Aphrodite"
The Land of Beauty is an immortal kingdom of sculptures, crafts, tools and everyday objects that our imagination can run wild. Different ways of expressing beauty in ancient and modern societies can coexist in an era, constructing us a world of horizons and commonalities across time. At the heart of this exhibition is the divine image of Aphrodite (Venus), a beautiful goddess and mother of one of the most powerful deities, Elos. The idea of beauty with Aphrodite as the central figure permeates the historical and visual language of the ancients, and even today remains a bridge, a point of reference, connecting their world to ours. Not only that, but the beauty associated with the goddess is repeatedly projected in the image of male and female power, and it is equally present in the expression of everyday life, with its colors and styles capable of connecting distant times and distant spaces.
What is beauty? What does beauty mean to us and to the culture of the past? These are the questions explored by the curatorial team.
This exhibition presents a pure beauty, centered on the beauty of the classical world, and explores its connection with life, love and rights, mainly divided into three parts: home and beauty, power and beauty, love and beauty, leading the audience to reconstruct this great and timeless beauty. The exhibition features more than 70 works of art, some of which have never or rarely left the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. Some of the statues come from the Farnese collection, including masterpieces such as Apollo with a Rila, The Back of Venus, Asclepius, Aphrodite and Eros the Prone Down, Athena, Aphrodite the Reclining Aphrodite and Lucius Verus in Plate Armor.
"Statue of Lucius Verus in Plate Armor"
The National Archaeological Museum of Naples is one of the most important archaeological museums in the world. The complex of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples was built in 1585 and has since undergone several reconstructions and expansions to become what we see today. Thanks to its unique history, it preserves a double historical and archaeological heritage through which one can relive the great beauty of Roman times. The museum's collection of cultural relics concentrates the essence of ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and ancient Rome, among which the collection of ancient Roman cultural relics is also second to none in Europe. Of course, in addition to the Farnese collection from Rome itself, there are artifacts from cities destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD (Herculaneum, Pompeii, Stabia).
"Love and Beauty" Unit "Goddess of Love and Beauty" Aphrodite
The first part of the "Love and Beauty" section begins with two marble statues in the first floor of the exhibition hall, which have different human characteristics and forms, but both represent Aphrodite, the "goddess of love and beauty" in Greek mythology, the Venus of the Roman population. In mythology, she endows all things with "beautiful" qualities. The second part of the unit presents more sculptures of mythological characters, including Diana Lucifera, the goddess of light, and Athena, the goddess of wisdom. These three-dimensional sculptures and the frescoes depicting Greek and Roman mythology in the same exhibition hall tell the glory of ancient Roman civilization.
"A Land of Beauty: Exhibition from the Collection of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples" in the section "Home and Beauty"
The sculpture figures in the exhibition section "Power and Beauty" are diverse in archetypes, including the common patron deities in classical mythology: Hercules, Isis, Mercury and other characters; It also shows statues of many famous people in reality, such as the Greek military leader Demetrius Poliorcetes. The "Home and Beauty" unit recreates the life of the ancient city of southern Italy in the 1st century AD before the volcanic eruption.
"Double Handle Engraved Cup" (left) and "Embossed Glass" (right)
It is worth mentioning that the series of glass products on display in the exhibition concentrates on the various techniques and forms developed by the Romans to adapt to all aspects of daily life, and the daily use of glass products is mainly in eating utensils (such as pots, jars, glassware and various cups) can also be used to store oils and medicinal essences, as well as essential oils and perfumes from exotic lands.
"Audiences can experience the beauty of the Roman world from our collection of masterpieces, and we are very proud to share our best collection with the audience in Shanghai during the 2022 China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism, which is also unparalleled in the international art world." Paolo Giulierini, director of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, said. Through the sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum, we can see in the exhibition the Roman dwellings buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius some 2,000 years ago, as well as glassware, bronze statues such as the famous Pseudoseneca Head, and ointment containers.
"Fun and Wisdom – Contemporary Italian Design" exhibition "Tragicomedy of Life"
At the same time, the exhibition "Fun and Wisdom – Italian Contemporary Design", one of the key projects of the "2022 China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism", was recently opened at the Pudong Art Museum. See the world in the mischievous and creative spirit of a child, explore to your heart's content, and capture the essence of Italian design.
"Fun and Wisdom – Italian Contemporary Design" Exhibition "Face and Soul"
Bringing together the most iconic creations of Italian industrial design from the past 70 years, the exhibition consists of more than 200 works by famous design masters, opening the door for Chinese audiences to learn about contemporary Italy, a society of creativity, optimism and curiosity, capable of producing beautiful, functional and sometimes slightly satirical objects, exploring the diversity and playful spirit hidden in contemporary Italian design.
"Fun and Wisdom – Italian Contemporary Design" exhibition "Soft Shapes"
There is no shortage of juxtaposition of multiple materials in the exhibition, forming a very different texture contrast. The unit "fragile but timeless" made up of ceramic vases, together with the different shapes of sofas in the "soft shape" unit, is shrouded in a bright orange square frame. Among them, the hand-shaped Joe sofa from DDL Studio and the wave-shaped Superonda sofa from Archizoom Studio are fun designs that prove that the structure and household items of traditional houses have been changed under a faster and more dynamic lifestyle, and a more casual and free attitude to life has gradually emerged.
"This exhibition is a tribute to our extraordinary ability to combine production needs, functionality and aesthetics," said Antia, Consul General of Italy in Shanghai, "using creativity to break through stereotypes and use game strategies to create beautiful and interesting objects to solve specific problems." These solutions are ahead of their time and can be milestones in design history. ”
Ms. Tiziana D'Angelo, Consul General of Italy in Shanghai
On the occasion of the Year of Culture and Tourism between Italy and Italy, the Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai and the Cultural Section have promoted a series of exciting events in Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuzhen, Jiaxing and other cities with the aim of bringing the best of Italian culture and creativity to the East China region. In addition to this exhibition, there are also important projects such as "Self-Portrait of Master Uffizi" and "100 Years of Modern Art", which have already been exhibited in the city.
This series of events was supported by some of the most influential Italian institutions, such as the Uffizi Gallery, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Archaeological Museum of Naples, the Fellini Museum, etc., who brought precious works of great historical, artistic and cultural value to China, from self-portraits by some famous artists in art history to original works of Italian design that were all the rage. The exhibition covers a variety of different forms of presentation and historical eras, from pre-Roman Italian archaeological discoveries to 20th-century film and design to contemporary art.
Exhibition "Self-Portrait of Master Uffizi"
Referring to the original intention of holding and supporting these art exhibitions, Antia shared, "The Year of Chinese and Tourism aims to celebrate and strengthen the cooperation between the two countries in the field of culture, which is a core aspect of the Sino-Italian friendship, especially through our events in East China, we hope to share the best of Italian art and creativity, and raise awareness of our diverse and rich cultural heritage and creations among Chinese audiences through exhibitions and activities such as abstract art, archaeology, design, film, music, etc." These events cover many historical eras and not only illustrate the cultural creation of Italy, past and present, but also the passion for beauty and creativity shared by Italy and China. ”
Self-Portrait of the Uffizi Master by Raffaello Santi
In recent years, the young generation in China has paid more and more attention to traditional culture and art, and the strong reaction of Chinese young people to art has also left a deep impression on Antia, "In China, young audiences who love art and culture in East China have great curiosity and enthusiasm, which inspires us to continue to choose good works to bring to Shanghai." We believe that the use of art and culture to engage with young people is the key to ensuring the continuation and strengthening of the relationship between the Italian and Chinese people. Even for exhibitions of ancient heritage, we want to create experiences that can be felt in the moment and that can speak to the audience. For example, in the self-portrait exhibition of the Uffizi Gallery, we can see self-portraits of artists. Through the works, the audience can understand how these masters present their faces in the paintings and how they 'honestly' face themselves, and the exhibition also invites everyone to examine their current self from one side. ”
"100 Years of Modern Art" exhibition
In ancient times, although the Chinese and Italian peoples were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, the Italians in China, represented by Marco Polo, Matteo Ricci, Wei Kuangguo and Lang Shining, actively promoted and promoted the dialogue between the two civilizations. "Both countries have millennial civilizations, and even in times when the journey was farther and more difficult, Italian travelers like Marco Polo taught us the importance of curiosity and constant exploration of knowledge." Antia shared.
Looking forward to the future, Antia is full of confidence in the exchange and promotion of art and culture between China and Italy. In her view, the preservation of the vast and rich artistic and cultural heritage that China and Italy possess on the UNESCO Heritage List is a shared responsibility and honor. "While there are natural differences between the cultures of the two countries, we believe that art and culture know no borders and share a common language. We are all contemporary inheritors, but at the same time share a common pursuit of beauty and creativity. From fashion to design to video production, China and Italy have an important creative market, and we hope to bring the audience closer and strengthen the communication between people through more and more landing exhibitions. ”
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