Ferrero Foundation dedicates an exhibition to Beppe Fenoglio, one hundred years after his birth

From October 15, 2022 to January 8, 2023, the Ferrero Foundation in Alba presents the exhibition Canto le armi e l’uomo. 100 Years with Beppe Fenoglio, curated by Luca Bufano, among the best-known scholars of Fenoglio’s work. The exhibition project is dedicated to theliterary experience and life of Alba writer and partisan Beppe Fenoglio (Alba, 1922 - Turin, 1963) and is part of the initiatives of the Beppe Fenoglio 22 program, on the occasion of the centenary of the author’s birth.

In the title Canto le armi e l’uomo, the curator intended to evoke the famous Virgilian verse from the proem of theAeneid, as it "reflects and summarizes multiple aspects of Fenoglio’s work and life, as well as of the exhibition itself: the influence of classical epic in his formation and style; the wartime period that revealed him to himself, determining his destiny as a writer; and the famous note from the Fenoglio Diary: ’Always on the tombstones, to me will suffice my name, the two dates that alone count, and the qualification of writer and partisan.’"

The exhibition will be divided into eight thematic and biographical sections in which the narrative is structured through autograph documents, photographic and audiovisual images, works of art, posters and other objects including books and memorabilia. It has a multimedia character that makes the work and figure of Beppe Fenoglio accessible to everyone, from the most attentive scholar, to the avid reader, but also to the neophyte ofFenoglio’s work.

The title of each section is flanked by a name, real or literary, related to Fenoglio’s world, which is useful to indicate the themes dealt with. At the entrance to the exhibition, the public will be welcomed into a space that is like a kind of prelude, introducing the spirit of the exhibition: in fact, Fenoglio’s partisan weapons are presented, in particular an American-made M1-30 carbine, and hislast typewriter, an Olivetti Studio 44. The sections in turn bear a summary title and a name, real or literary (an alias of Beppe Fenoglio). The visitor will thus be led to identify a character on which he will focus his attention: Alba / Beppe; The Beginning / Hector; The Country / Augustine; Valdivilla / Jerry; Epos / Johnny; Romance / Milton; Anglophilia / Heathcliff; The End and the Beginning / Charlie.

The materials in the exhibition come courtesy of the Fenoglio Fund in Alba (curated by the writer’s daughter, Margherita Fenoglio), the collection of the “Beppe Fenoglio” Documentation Center of the Ferrero Foundation itself, the “Beppe Fenoglio” Study Center of the City of Alba, from the historical archive of the Einaudi publishing house at the State Archives of Turin, from the Gina Lagorio archive at the Apice Center - University of Milan, from the “il Caffè” Archive and Study Center of Montecalvo in Foglia, from the Labronica Library “F. d. Guerrazzi” of Livorno, the Gallizio Archive of Turin, the Gabriele Basilico Archive of Milan, the Municipal Archive of Alba, the Historical Archive of the “Govone” High School of Alba, the Cultural Association “ALEC - Gianfranco Alessandria” of Alba and private lenders.

The installation is by Danilo Massanero.

For info: www.fondazioneferrero.it

Hours: Thursdays and Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Dec. 24,25,31, 2022 and Jan. 1, 2023.

Photo: Aldo Agnelli - Centro Studi Beppe Fenoglio Archives - Alba

Ferrero Foundation dedicates an exhibition to Beppe Fenoglio, one hundred years after his birth

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.