 by Susan Glasspool Bottaro
An exhibition with a difference
An exciting idea has just been developed by the town of Greve in Chianti
sponsored by the Region and Province of Tuscany and the City Council of
Florence, with the collaboration of Impruneta, Barberino Val d'Elsa and
Montevarchi. This is the Tuscia Electa exhibition - 14 international artists
in Tuscany - which instead of being set up in one single gallery or exhibition
room follows a spectacular itinerary that takes in beautiful villas, tiny
hamlets, ancient churches and town squares.
"Cosmos". Fountain in stainless
steel and bronze
by Gidon Graetz 1992-1996
exhibited at Greve |
Here various works of art, created by well-known artists from all
over the world, who either live or have close connections with Tuscany,
have been set up in unusual and fascinating sites so that the visitor
not only gets the chance to admire examples of modern art in a timeless
setting, but also to explore parts of the countryside that he probably
would never otherwise have seen.
Sculptures by Leo Lionni on show
in the square at Greve |
The itinerary starts out right in the suggestive square of Greve
with Leo Lionni's sculptures creating an interesting contrast with the
ancient arched loggias, while Pietro Consagra has installed stylistic
elements that rear up in front of the facade of the church. The spiral-shaped
fountain by Gidon Graetz has instead been placed between the square and
the road to Panzano.
"Sienese clay country" 1994 by artist
Joe Tilson,
exhibited at Villa Calcinaia |
From here the itinerary takes us to Villa Calcinaia where a barn
hosts the Pop Art of Joe Tilson with his interpretation of the Sienese
clay country. Curiously enough, the barn was used after the 1966 flood
in Florence, to store many of the books from the State Archives. The Lemonary
instead contains assemblages dedicated to Tibet by Heinrich Nicolaus.Betty
Woodman exhibits her ceramics in the rooms of a little country house,
situated in the delightful village of Ruffoli, which also hosts the impressive
snakes and ladders sculpture by Luigi Mainolfi which soars up and then
downwards from a terrace overlooking the valley and re-emerges in the
fish-pond at the historic Castle of Verrazzano. Another house in Ruffoli
contains a series of black and white photographs by Paul Blanchard.
"Tarquinia: Good Wishes", 1996,
by the artist Betty Woodman,
73 painted ceramics exhibited at Borgo di Ruffoli. |
The Castle of Verrazzano is also the magnificent setting for the
two granite monoliths by Gi˜ Pomodoro which indicate the route towards
Antonio Trotta's homage to Ezra Pound. The Pieve of San Cresci is the
next stop in the trip around the Chianti and the precious container for
the theatre of shadows installation by Jannis Kounellis. The intinerary
concludes at Panzano with the huge photographic panels by Clegg & Guttmann
in the Oratory of S. Eufrosino, placed alongside Joseph Kosuth's 12 panels
with a quotation from Wittgenstein, while the Pieve of San Leolino hosts
views through "windows" by Jan Dibbets. The exhibition will remain open
until November 17th. For further information contact Greve Town Council
tel. 055/8545247 or Eventi: tel. 055/240397.
FAN-Florence ART
News
by
Silvia Messeri & Sandro Pintus |
