Piranesi Brochure - Exhibits Development Group

Fresh, thought-provoking and innovative, the Arts
of Piranesi is a twenty-first century approach to
the Venetian artist’s creative endeavors. More
than three hundred original prints selected from
the world-renowned collection of the Fondazione
Giorgio Cini in Venice, Italy, combine with
modern day interpretations of Piranesi’s designs
to present an unmatched display of the artist’s
extraordinary genius.
Far from being a traditional print exhibition, the
Arts of Piranesi is interactive and technologically
innovative. With the help of the most advanced
digital technologies and the unparalleled skill and
craftsmanship of Factum Arte, Piranesi’s twodimensional renderings of a monumental vase,
a candelabrum, tripods, a teapot, an altar and a
fireplace assume their rightful three dimensional
forms. These never-before-seen, never-beforecrafted objects take center stage in the exhibition
and attest to the creative intellect of Piranesi’s
designs. In addition, the exhibition brings to life
Piranesi’s most famous works, the Prisons, in
the form of a virtual reality 3D installation. The
legendary Caffè degli Inglesi is represented as
a full-scale evocation, and visitors may browse
through Piranesi’s sketchbooks via a touchscreen monitor. Further enhancing the exhibition
are thirty views of Rome by Italian photographer
Gabriele Basilico, which pay homage to the great
artist’s renderings of the eternal city.
The exhibition traces Piranesi’s accomplishment
as archaeologist, architect, theorist, designer and
vedutista. Strikingly designed by world renowned
architect Michele De Lucchi, the exhibition
embodies the progressive spirit of Piranesi’s own
eclectic visions. Most importantly, the accent
on Piranesi’s modernity that permeates the
exhibition emphasizes the popular appeal of his
work and its continuing relevance to designers
and architects.
EXHIBITION INCLUDES
ARTWORKS AND ARTIFACTS
302 Prints by Piranesi in the Firmin-Didot edition of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini
32 Photographs by Gabriele Basilico
11 Photographs by Factum Arte
3 scale models of the church of Santa Maria del Priorato by Michele de Lucchi
Works designed by Piranesi and produced by Factum Arte:
Candelabra
Vase
Altar
Fireplace with brazier and firedogs
Two tripods
Coffeepot
Chair
VIDEOS
3D video of Piranesi’s Prisons (file)
Video on the different states of Piranesi’s Prisons (file)
Video documenting the making of the fireplace (file)
Video dedicated to Modena’s notebooks (file)
EXHIBITION CATALOGUE
500 copies of the Arts of Piranesi: architect, etcher, antiquarian,
vedutista, designer, ed. Giuseppe Pavanello (Venice: Marsilio, 2010)
288 pages b/w and color softcover, English
LECTURERS AVAILABLE
Pasquale Gagliardi, Fondazione Giorgio Cini
Adam Lowe, Factum Arte
Michele De Lucchi
John Wilton-Ely
Sir Norman Rosenthal
REQUIREMENTS FOR HOSTING INSTITUTION
Approximately 10,760 square feet / 1,000 square meters
FOR EXHIBITION BOOKINGS
please contact EDG
+1 651 222 1121 / [email protected]
FOR CURATORIAL QUESTIONS
please contact Monika Hirschbichler, Ph. D., Director of Curatorial Affairs
+1 202 719 8076 / [email protected]
GIOVANNI BATTISTA PIRANESI
The Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720
-1778) was a man of exceptional skill, whose vision
contributed greatly to our understanding of Classical art and architecture. Initially Piranesi trained as
an architect but went on to become an inspirational
print-maker, publisher, archaeologist, antiquarian, dealer and, most importantly for the theme of
this exhibition, a designer. Defiantly individualistic,
eclectic and nonconformist, Piranesi’s work had
widespread and profound influence in particular on
the Neoclassical styles that emerged in England
and France in the 18th century and prefigured the
role of the modern architect and designer.
Fondazione Giorgio Cini
The Fondazione Giorgio Cini is a non-profit cultural
institution based in Venice, Italy. It was constituted
by Count Vittorio Cini, in memory of his son Giorgio,
with the aim of restoring the Island of San Giorgio
Maggiore and of creating an international cultural
center. The formation of the Fondazione was one of
the most considerable cultural initiatives of the 20th
century. It is further substantiated by the cultural
patrimony preserved on the Island and, since 1984,
at the Gallery of Palazzo Cini at San Vio.
www.cini.it
FACTUM ARTE
Factum Arte is an independent workshop based in
Madrid, Spain, working on the production of facsimiles. For more than six years Factum Arte has
carried out large scale projects and has gained
a reputation for the uncompromising nature of its
work and its obsessive commitment to pushing the
boundaries that usually separate technology and
craftsmanship. The aim of all work undertaken by
Factum Arte is to demonstrate how new technologies can assume a central role in the preventative
conservation of heritage sites and can change attitudes towards the use of facsimiles in the management and protection of cultural heritage.
www.factum-arte.com
THE CATALOGUE
the Arts of Piranesi: architect, etcher, antiquarian,
vedutista, designer, ed. Giuseppe Pavanello (Venice: Marsilio, 2010). Introduction by Pasquale Gagliardi. Essays by Michele De Lucchi, Giuseppe
Pavanello, John Wilton-Ely, Norman Rosenthal,
Marcello Fagiolo, Elisa Debenedetti, Adam Lowe,
Luigi Ficacci.
ORGANIZERS
Co-Producers:
Exhibition Concept: Curatorial Team:
Special Adviser: Consultant:
Fondazione Giorgio Cini & Factum Arte
Michele De Lucchi
Instituto di Storia dell’Arte – Fondazione Giorgio Cini
John Wilton-Ely
Sir Norman Rosenthal
sales & distribution
Landmark Center 432
75 West Fifth Street
Saint Paul, MN 55102
+1 651 222 1121 tel
+1 651 222 1124 fax
exhibition development
2801 M Street N.W.
Washington, DC 20007
+1 202 719 8073 tel
+1 202 338 8182 fax