150 pieces from the deposits of the MANN in Naples go on display in Barcelona

One hundred and fifty pieces from the National Archaeological Museum of Naples are going on a trip to Barcelona where, from May 31 to October 15, at the Museo Marítim, the exhibition Pompeya, el último gladiator is scheduled, an international exhibition project to promote and publicize the MANN’s heritage, particularly that of its deposits where, as is well known, thousands of artifacts from the Vesuvian cities are preserved. On display will be pieces mainly kept in the deposits of the Neapolitan museum: frescoes, sculptures, weapons, and furnishings that refer to the world of gladiators, theater and, more generally, leisure in the Roman world.

For the visitor, the exhibition is meant to be an ideal journey into the Pompeii of two thousand years ago, an immersive experience that will provide insight into the daily life of its inhabitants, including the history of gladiators, up to reliving the tragic eruption of Vesuvius in 79.AD. The reconstruction will stick to rigorous sources, putting contemporary creativity to good use. The initiative is organized by Dali Universe and Phantasya, under the artistic direction of Roberto Panté, in collaboration with MANN. The curator of the exhibition is Beniamino Levi, scientific director of the initiative Raffaele Iovine, for MANN Marialucia Giacco (Exhibitions Office), Mariateresa Operetto (Restoration Laboratories), Stefania Saviano (Administrative Secretariat) followed the project.

MANN Director Paolo Giulierini, on the occasion of the exhibition in Barcelona, emphasized that "if Naples’ and MANN’s ties with Spain are centuries old, there are numerous initiatives developed in recent times as well: we recall the MAV’s virtual exhibition on the Villa of the Papyri, with many of our images, in Madrid in 2016; the exhibition on Charles of Bourbon, King of Madrid, Naples and Mexico City in 2016; and the one dedicated to the Gladiators in Alicante in 2021." In the year of the 50th anniversary of Picasso’s death, the MANN is hosting an exhibition (the only Italian included in the official French-Spanish calendar of celebrations) that recalls the genius artist’s visit to the Neapolitan museum and Pompeii in 1917(Picasso and Antiquity, at the MANN until Aug. 28).

Scientific Director Iovine says, “I am proud as a scholar and as a Neapolitan to have been able to contribute to this extraordinary international project. My idea is to give life to ’cultural corridors’ that unite Naples with the world’s great metropolises. Barcelona is just the first stage of a journey that will make the wonders of our city known to the world and will be an opportunity for important cultural interchanges, benefiting our young people in particular. This achievement is due to Paolo Giulierini, to the cultural strategy that he has been pursuing for years with an extraordinary team of men and women at MANN. The exhibition will be spectacular both for its archaeological and multimedia contents, unique and of great impact, thanks to the creativity of artistic director Roberto Panté, among the top experts in the field. Some environments of the ancient city of Pompeii, related to gladiators and leisure, which have been reconstructed for this exhibition, will allow the visitor to live a unique experience.”

“The project,” explains Roberto Panté, artistic director of Dali Universe and founder of Phantasya, “is very articulated: the narrative of the gladiator will be the main thread, but starting from Via dell’Abbondanza, daily life will be explained, from fast food two thousand years ago to gyms, from necropolis to baths. And we will also have the largest metaverse space ever, 400 square meters in which we will revive the last moments of the buried city. With our group we write real scripts when we make the exhibitions, as if they were films.” For the educational section, the Observatory on Governance for Cultural, Artistic and Landscape Heritage Education - OGEP3Unina - of the University of Naples Federico II collaborated.

150 pieces from the deposits of the MANN in Naples go on display in Barcelona

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