At Gallerie d'italia in Piazza Scala, art awakens the soul

An exhibition of artists with autism spectrum disorders: it’s Art Awakens the Soul and is scheduled at the Gallerie d’Italia in Milan’s Piazza Scala from March 30 to June 3, 2018. The event opens a few days ahead of World Autism Awareness Day (which takes place on April 2) and is the brainchild of the director of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Michail Piotrovski: the exhibition, which was created as part of an international social and cultural inclusion project to promote a culture about autism that reveals unusual talents and abilities against clichés and prejudices, expresses the importance for people with autism to bring to light and communicate their emotions also through the language of art. The Milan exhibition is the fifth stage of a project that has already taken her to Florence, Pistoia, Rome and Brescia.

On display are more than 60 works that tell of the human soul: abstract or figurative subjects made by eighteen men and women from all over Italy and of different ages, who have tried their hand at works by Caravaggio, Chagall, Giotto, Fattori and other artists to whom they have looked, making themselves appreciated for technique, personality and originality of interpretation. Along with the exhibition there is also a rich calendar of collateral activities animated by the Florence Autism Association, the association “L’immaginario” and Friends of the Hermitage Museum Italy, which with Intesa Sanpaolo are promoting the exhibition.

“Those who due to fate or by professional choice have a daily relationship with autistic people know very well how difficult it is to understand what lies behind appearances,” explains Anna Maria Kozarzewska, scientific coordinator of the project. “Appearances that often deceive and lead to negative judgments, rejection and social isolation. The project is an attempt to make autism perceived differently, to allow those who are not ’in the business’ to enter that fascinating world full of surprises, to discover the unexpected abilities that can manifest in different fields. We hope it can help change the widespread perception of the autistic condition.”

“Always in the cultural programming of Gallerie d’Italia there is a special attention to ’fragility’ and special audiences. We believe that there can be no enhancement of our collections and palaces without a commitment to making them accessible to all. The Galleries want to be an open place, capable of engaging and involving different audiences, where art becomes a tool for expressing one’s creativity and fostering greater social inclusion,” comments Michele Coppola, Intesa Sanpaolo’s Central Director of Art, Culture and Historical Assets.

The exhibition opens Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (last entry at 6:30 p.m.), Thursday until 10:30 p.m. (last entry at 9:30 p.m.). Monday is closing day. Special openings for Easter and Easter Monday, April 25, April 30, May 1 and June 2. The exhibition can be visited with the entrance ticket to the permanent collections: full 10 euros, reduced 8 euros, special reduced 5 euros (for schools, under 18s and first Sunday of the month). Info at www.gallerieditalia.com.

At Gallerie d'italia in Piazza Scala, art awakens the soul

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