Milo Manara's drawings for Mozart on display in Modena

Modena’s Museo della Figurina pays tribute to one of the great masters of Italian comics, Milo Manara, with an exhibition celebrating his passion for opera and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. From November 22, 2024 to January 12, 2025, in the spaces of Palazzo Santa Margherita, it will be possible to visit the exhibition Così fan tutte. Le metamorfosi d’Amore, which features sketches and drawings by Manara inspired by the two-act comic opera Così fan tutte, or Mozart’s La scuola degli amanti.

Curated by Claudio Curcio, president of COMICON and the International Pop Culture Festival, the exhibition is part of a broad project in collaboration with Fondazione AGO and the Pavarotti-Freni Municipal Theater of Modena. In addition to paying tribute to Mozart’s historic opera composed in 1790, the exhibition offers an intimate look at the artistic approach of Manara, who, over a career spanning more than 50 years, has collaborated with various theaters and signed illustrations for some of Italy’s major stages, such as Teatro alla Scala in Milan and Teatro San Carlo in Naples.

The exhibition is related to the performance scheduled at the Pavarotti-Freni Municipal Theater, staged on Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. with a repeat on Dec. 1 at 3:30 p.m., in an Italian-French production created by the Pergolesi Spontini Foundation and co-produced with the opera houses of Pisa, Rovigo, Modena and Metz. Stefano Vizioli’s direction interprets the opera through a timeless stage space, immersed in an intimate and minimal dimension, with essential costumes and furnishings that recall the 18th-century era.

Milo Manara’s passion for opera is reflected in the details of these drawings, where mythological figures such as nymphs, cupids and satyrs appear. The scenic elements-from backdrops to sliding panels-follow the style of Italian-style theater, with a proscenium framing the characters and a curtain designed to guide the viewer into a delicate and timeless imagery. Manara, in his choice of details and scenes, is inspired by classicism and myth, elements perfectly in keeping with 18th-century taste, as he explains, “Myth suits the 18th century, in the opera Olympus is mentioned several times, for Mozart and Da Ponte changing semblance is the common means of seduction of men and gods.”

These drawings reflect Manara’s deep attunement to Mozart’s themes; Così fan tutte, first performed in Vienna in 1790, in fact explores the themes of metamorphosis, the play of deception and disguise, themes that reflect a complex investigation of human identity. While in the past this opera was considered frivolous and lighthearted, today critics recognize its striking modernity, in which deception and masquerade are not just comic devices, but means of exposing human frailties, even in divine characters.

Manara himself captures the essence of this playful drama: "In Così fan tutte, in the end, by dint of dressing up, one loses the perception of one’s own identity." This interpretation brings to light a deeper vision of the opera’s protagonists: as they delve into disguises and games of seduction, the characters end up discovering the most vulnerable sides of their personalities. The exhibition allows visitors to admire Manara’s designs for costumes and sets, where the scenes and backdrops - populated by light and mythological figures - evoke the enchanted atmospheres of the late 18th century.

The exhibition project is completed with two events: a multimedia meeting with artist Saverio Mazzoni, entitled Milo Manara racconta Mozart. The Man and the Artist, scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 12, at the Municipal Theater, and a series of meetings with curator Claudio Curcio, who will guide visitors to discover the works on display and Manara’s career. The exhibition can be visited Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets: full price 6 euros, reduced 4 euros. Free admission every Wednesday. Guided tours Saturday 3 p.m. by appointment. Information: phone during exhibition hours 059 2023919, email info@fondazioneago.it, www.fondazioneago.it

Milo Manara's drawings for Mozart on display in Modena

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