La Belle Ã?poque in Modena: an exhibition at the BPER Banca Gallery

The Belle Époque in Modena: this is the subject of the exhibition set up from May 6 to June 26, 2022 at the BPER Banca Gallery in Modena and titled Modena between the 8th and the 20th century. The Belle Époque of the Economy. The exhibition, curated by Chiara Pulini, is the first exhibition to feature documents from the BPER Banca Historical Archives.

The exhibition is dedicated to the golden age of the economy, dubbed Belle Époque because of the general climate of well-being and the important cultural, social and technological changes that affected society at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. The exhibition itinerary is articulated from the theme proposed this year by the Archivissima Festival, CHANGE - Historical memory as a tool for decoding the present, to which BPER Bank adheres. For the occasion, a selection of documents from the Bank’s proprietary archives, in part, and, in part, from the archives of three economic activities in the Modena area that, thanks in part to the support of the then Banca Popolare di Modena, could initiate major transformations in their productions, are on display. Salumificio Maletti, Carrozzeria Orlandi and Società Anonima “Il truciolo” are the three case studies chosen to explore, with a new perspective, the theme of change.

“The BPER Banca Historical Archive, rich in evidence of the social, economic and financial development of our territory,” says curator Chiara Pulini, “offers itself as a repository of memory and as a means of interpreting a changing world. It is precisely the bank’s link with the territory that is the red thread that has allowed us to reknit a relationship that has never been interrupted over time. The bank’s documents on display in the exhibition dialogue with the documents of the three selected companies and tell us a ’new,’ perhaps unexpected story that will be added as a piece in the historical reconstruction of the Belle Époque era.”

“The enhancement of the archival records and corporate collection,” adds Sabrina Bianchi, head of cultural heritage at BPER Bank, “is one of the main objectives that La Galleria. Collection and Historical Archives aims. This exhibition, the first of its kind almost five years after the opening of the exhibition space, confirms BPER Bank’s commitment to a widespread culture to build a sustainable and inclusive future.”

The exhibition, with free admission, is open to the public until June 26, 2022, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with hours of 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-6 p.m.; with two special openings on May 14, 2022, on the occasion of Museum Night, and on June 10, 2022, on the occasion of Archives Night, with opening until 11 p.m. For information: T. +39 059 2021598, lagalleria@bper.it, www.lagalleriabper.it, www.instagram.com/lagalleriabper/. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog available on site with in-depth texts by Chiara Pulini, Angelica Barberini and Margherita Beggi and rich iconographic apparatus.

Since 2017 BPER Banca has been managing its cultural heritage in a more mature and conscious way, thanks to La Galleria, which enhances, protects and preserves its corporate collection and an important business archive. With the role of “witness,” the Archives becomes a key piece with the specific intention of protecting and preserving the extraordinary artistic and documentary heritage owned by the Bank. Founded with the Banca Popolare di Modena in 1867 and declared “of particularly important historical interest” by the Archival Superintendence for Emilia Romagna in 2015, it documents the history, not only of the bank, but above all of the territories of which it was and is an expression, bearing witness to the country’s social and cultural journey. More than 500 linear meters of documentation collect the memory of the Institute, since its founding, and testify to the path taken by the banking group and the banks that, over time, have been incorporated. Memory is fundamental to the emergence of a new “corporate cultural responsibility” that combines public and private interest. Study and cataloguing activities have enabled the publication of the following volumes: “Le Signorine della Banca Popolare di Modena” (2018), “I Primi Soci” (2019), “Ti nasce vicino. From Advertising to Social Media” (2020), “Today for Tomorrow. A Brief History of Savings” (2021).

Archivissima was founded in 2018 in Turin and is the first and only festival dedicated to archives. The aim of the festival is to bring new audiences closer to the world of archives, invited to confront a different theme at each edition. The beating heart of Archivissima remains La Notte degli Archivi, which since the 2020 edition has taken on a national dimension involving a total of about 400 public and private institutions from all regions of the country. The realization of the festival is entrusted to the cultural association Archivissima, with the support of Promemoria and the partnership and patronage of the Ministry of Culture, the General Directorate of Archives and ANAI. For information: https://www.archivissima.it/2022/.

Pictured is a view of the exhibition.

La Belle Époque in Modena: an exhibition at the BPER Banca Gallery

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.