Art is reborn after the closures. The season of great exhibitions in Italy has started, with tributes to great artists of the past and contemporary icons. Here are five exhibitions not to be missed for an cultural escape into great beauty.
Monet in Milan
Claude Monet’s impressionism, including his famous Water Lilies, is the protagonist at Palazzo Reale in Milan until January 30, 2022. Promoted by the Municipality of Milan and produced by Palazzo Reale and Arthemisia, the exhibition is curated by Marianne Mathieu and it is created in collaboration with the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, from which the entire body of works comes, and with the Académie Des Beaux-Arts, Institut de France.
The halls of the Royal Palace will welcome the public with 53 works by Monet, including his Water Lilies (1916-1919), The Parliament. Reflections on the Thames (1905) and The roses (1925-1926), his last and magical work: an extraordinary loan not only because it brings together some of the spearheads of Monet’s artistic production, but also for the enormous difficulty of this period in making the works travel from one country to another.
Jeff Koons in Florence
Contemporary art is the protagonist in Florence with Jeff Koons. The large sculptures and installations of the American artist will be open until January 30, 2022. Shine, the exhibition curated by Arturo Galansino and Joachim Pissarro, developed in close dialogue with the artist, the exhibition hosts loans from the most important collections and major international museums, proposing the original interpretation of Koons’ art concept of shine understood as a game of ambiguity between splendor and glow, being and appearing. The highlights are works that tell the story of over 40 years of career, from the famous sculptures in perfectly polished metal that replicate luxury objects, such as the Baccarat Crystal Set (1986) or the iconic inflatable toys such as the famous Rabbit (1986) and Balloon Dog (Red) (1994-2000), up to the interpretation of pop culture characters such as Hulk (Tubas) (2004-2018).
Escher in Genoa
Optical illusions and impossible geometries, here is Escher, who has landed at Palazzo Ducale in Genoa in a major exhibition until February 20, 2022. It is the largest and most complete anthological exhibition dedicated to the Dutch genius Maurits Cornelis Escher. In the city of the Lantern, it is possible to admire over 200 of his works and works, from Hand with a reflecting sphere (1935) to Vincolo d’unione (1956), to Metamorphosis II (1939), Giorno e notte (1938) and the series of the Emblemata, to discover the perspective, geometric and compositional paradoxes that have inspired many artists to follow. And on show you can also literally immerse yourself in his illusions and his universe thanks to immersive rooms and impossible structures, which will be compared with works by great artists such as Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720 – 1778) and Victor Vasarely (1906 – 1997).
Klimt in Rome
The Viennese art of the Secession animates the Museum of Rome. Klimt, the Secession and Italy is the name of the exhibition that brings Gustav Klimt back to Italy 110 years after his participation in the 1911 International Art Exhibition. The Capital will host in this exhibition some of the artist’s masterpieces from the Belvedere Museum of Vienna, from the Klimt Foundation and from public and private collections such as the Neue Galerie Graz. The exhibition traces the life and artistic production of Klimt, underlining his role as co-founder of the Viennese Secession and investigating his relationship with Italy, the destination of his travels and the place of some of his exhibition successes. There are about 200 works on display, including paintings, drawings, vintage posters and sculptures by Klimt and the artists of his circle. In addition to iconic works such as the famous Giuditta I, Signora in bianco, Amiche I (Le Sorelle) and Amalie Zuckerkandl, it is also possible to admire quite exceptional loans such as The Bride of the Klimt Foundation and Portrait of a Lady, stolen from the Ricci Oddi Gallery in Piacenza in 1997 and fortunately recovered in 2019.
Venice at the Doge’s Palace
This is the year of the Serenissima and the foundation of the lagoon city is also celebrated through its art. Venetia. 1600 Births and Rebirths is the exhibition that can be visited until 25 March 2022 in Venice, Palazzo Ducale – Doge’s Apartment. A journey through the events of Venice, between moments of crisis and ruptures, and phases of regeneration and renewal. To illustrate the salient moments of the history and identity of Venice, there will be works by great artists, architects and men of letters who worked in the lagoon over almost a millennium. These are names such as Carpaccio, Tiziano, Veronese, Tiepolo, Canaletto,Guardi and others, along with a selection of miniatures, prints, drawings, fabrics, sculptures, ceramics, architectural models, glass and everyday objects. Focus on some iconic monuments, first and foremost the Basilica of San Marco, the Doge’s Palace, the Rialto Bridge, the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, the churches of the Redentore and Santa Maria della Salute, the Gran Teatro la Fenice and the Campanile of San Marco.