Contemporary art at the National Museum of the

The National Museum of Antarctica “Felice Ippolito” in Siena opens to contemporary art with the exhibition Raggioverde, an exhibition curated by Michela Eremita that, from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024, proposes a dialogue between landscape and art. This edition of the exhibition is part of the Cantiere Comune VI project, winner of the “Toscana in Contemporanea 2024” call, promoted by the Region of Tuscany to enhance contemporary culture in the territory.

The exhibition, which involves two prominent artists Gabriele Landi (Schaerbeek, Brussels, 1971) and Gianluca Sgherri (Fucecchio, 1962), takes the form of a path that invites visitors to reflect on the connections between art, nature and imaginary landscapes. The artistic dialogue that Landi and Sgherri establish with Antarctica highlights two complementary perspectives capable of stimulating deep reflection on the relationships between man and the environment. Gabriele Landi explores the concept of imaginary landscape, evoking Antarctica with works that represent an inner mapping of it. The artist, born in Brussels in 1971, said, “The idea of mapping an unknown place that I can only travel through with my imagination,” Landi says, “is something that has always fascinated me. So when in February of this year Michela Eremita proposed me to work inside the spaces of the National Museum of Antarctica in Siena as part of the Raggioverde project, I thought I would like to try to map an imaginary landscape that through its orography could evoke the idea of Antarctica. Antarctica, of all the continents, certainly the one that is most difficult for me to imagine and that is precisely why the challenge is interesting.” In Siena, visitors can therefore immerse themselves in his symbolic and evocative vision of an inaccessible landscape.

On the other hand, Gianluca Sgherri introduces the theme of thawing through a series of paintings and an installation placed at the museum’s entrance depicting a symbolic shipwreck. Tuscan-born, Sgherri is known for his dreamlike landscapes, in which natural elements are intertwined with intimate and personal visions. For the Tuscan artist, the thaw becomes a metaphor for environmental transformations, a theme that is sensitively explored through the symbolic journey his works offer the public.

Landi and Sgherri’s interpretation of Antarctica takes the form of an aesthetic journey, drawing on symbols and suggestions to construct a visual narrative of landscape and climate change.

The exhibition was also enriched by an important educational initiative: on Oct. 30 and 31, a workshop dedicated to insiders was held at the Santa Maria della Scala museum complex, with talks by scholars, curators and artists. The meetings focused on the latest artistic and scientific trends, with a special emphasis on the relationship between man and the environment. The workshop provided an opportunity for interdisciplinary discussions to explore central themes in the current cultural and scientific landscape, discussing issues ranging from sustainability to collaboration between different fields.

The choice of the National Museum of Antarctica “Felice Ippolito” as the venue for Raggioverde was intended to create a symbolic link between the works of art and the Antarctic continent, an extreme and pristine symbol of nature. Antarctica is indeed at the center of contemporary reflections on climate change, environmental protection and conservation, themes that emerge strongly in Landi and Sgherri’s poetics. The museum, dedicated to the study and conservation of the Antarctic environment, thus becomes a space of inspiration for artists and a stage of exchange for viewers, inviting them to reflect on the importance of preserving natural landscapes.

Contemporary art at the National Museum of the

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