Parallel Incursions. Masterpieces from the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art and the Pinacoteca Foresiana

Edited by Valentina Anselmi and Giovanna Coltelli

28 July to 5 November 2023
Pinacoteca Foresiana, De Laugier Cultural Centre, Portoferraio

There is an apparent contradiction in the title. If, in their equidistance, the straight lines never meet, the incursion, on the other hand, has an opposite meaning, that of a real clash. And yet, in this context of apparent irreconcilability of the two terms, a dialogical relationship is established, a reciprocal exchange that makes art the creator of a crossing towards a new point of view of its history, at least of that which has landed on the Island of Elba.

Like novice pirates, the curators, both from Elba, dived into the storerooms of the museums where they work in search of treasure. The collected booty was meticulously sorted... in parallel.
Artists who marked the history of art between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century and who had a connection with Elba have been chosen and related: Vincenzo Ciardo, Antonio Ciseri, Giovanni Fattori, Edoardo Gordigiani, Llewellyn Lloyd, Plinio Nomellini, Telemaco Signorini.

Twenty masterpieces from both the collection of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome - Italy's largest museum for the art of this period - and the collection of the Pinacoteca Foresiana in Portoferraio - the richest local civic museum - will be on show.

On this island, in an area that makes hospitality its hallmark, in a space as unique as the 16th-century De Laugier barracks, the wind has taken another turn, and what takes place is a mutual exchange, a breath of further beauty with which art embraces us.

The initiative was the result of the dual will of the two public bodies involved, which allowed the project to be realised in full and successful collaboration.

The Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Roma, in pursuit of its institutional mission and in particular that set out in art. 2 of its Statute, has decided to undertake an important territorial enhancement activity through the "Incursioni Parallele" project, which stands as a renewed model for the enhancement of the Gallery's collections, which, working in synergy with peripheral museums throughout the country, aims to promote a more sustainable tourism capable of bringing art closer to the territory, thus making works of art currently located in the Institute's deposits accessible through the exhibition in local museum spaces;

The Municipality of Portoferraio accepted the proposal with the aim of enhancing the magnificent quality of the art collection of the Pinacoteca Foresiana, donated to the city of Portoferraio by the distinguished man of letters and art connoisseur Mario Foresi back in 1914, which constitutes a fundamental hub for knowledge of art history, as well as a starting point for the cultural education of entire generations of students on the island of Elba.

The exhibition is realised with funds from the 'Cosmo-polis: an accessible city' project, which envisages the implementation of a series of actions aimed at promoting and enhancing the usability of the artistic heritage of the City of Portoferraio. Thanks to this project, the Municipality of Portoferraio was the winner of the public notice for the allocation of the fund for the year 2021 to support small and medium-sized art cities and villages particularly affected by the decrease in tourist flows due to the COVID-19 epidemic promoted by the Ministry of the Interior - Department for Internal and Territorial Affairs.

Inauguration:
Friday 28 July at 18.30

Opening hours:
From Saturday 29 July to Sunday 10 September open daily:
Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. / 5.30 p.m. - 10.30 p.m;
Sunday: 10.00 - 13.00
From Monday 11 September to Sunday 5 November (Sunday closed)
9.30 - 13.00 / 15.30 - 18.30

Contact:
Tel. 0565 1933589
info@visitaportoferraio.it

See the works in PDF format