From December 7, 2024, to March 16, 2025, Villa d’Este in Tivoli will host La Via Lattea: Declinazioni di bianco nel XX secolo (The Milky Way: Shades of White in the 20th Century). This ambitious exhibition delves into the concept of white in 20th-century art, connecting contemporary expressions with classical aesthetics while reflecting on Tivoli’s historical and natural elements.
Curated by Andrea Bruciati, Director of the Istituto Autonomo Villa Adriana e Villa d’Este – VILLÆ, the exhibition frames white as both a tabula rasa—symbolizing erasure and renewal—and an expressive field that challenges traditional artistic boundaries. Visitors will explore white as a color of absence and presence, where simplicity evokes profound reflection.
A Dialogue Between Classical and Contemporary
The exhibition takes inspiration from the monochrome marble sculptures of Villa Adriana, the stark beauty of Tivoli’s exhausted travertine quarries, and the calcified brilliance of its Albule springs. These elements establish a historical and environmental backdrop against which modern artistic interpretations of white are juxtaposed.
White emerges as a revolutionary force in modern art, gaining autonomy through the works of masters like Lucio Fontana, Piero Manzoni, and Alberto Burri. Their use of white as both an abstract and tactile medium challenges notions of subjectivity and narrative, offering a surface upon which viewers project their own interpretations.
Masterpieces in White
The exhibition features an impressive roster of artists who have explored the possibilities of white across different movements—from abstraction to spatialism, conceptual art to performance. Among the highlighted artists are Stefano Arienti, Mirella Bentivoglio, Agostino Bonalumi, James Lee Byars, Vanessa Beecroft, Pier Paolo Calzolari, Giuseppe Capogrossi, Enrico Castellani, Lucio Fontana, Piero Manzoni, Fausto Melotti, and Kiki Smith, to name a few.
Through their works, white becomes a “degree zero” of color and creativity, a vessel for artistic exploration that redefines the boundaries of material, space, and meaning.
Symbolism and Ambiguity
The exhibition also reflects on the dualities of white throughout history—purity and sterility, innocence and finality, clarity and void. Theoretical debates of the 20th century questioned whether white should be considered a color or an absence thereof, sparking innovations that culminated in the monochrome as a defining artistic statement.
Andrea Bruciati notes, “From Winckelmann’s idealized achromatic classicism to Malevich’s revolutionary White on White (1918), white has undergone a transformation. While once viewed as an unattainable ideal, Italian artists of the 20th century infused it with fractures and imperfections, mirroring the calcified yet porous textures of Tivoli’s landscape.”
A Collaborative Effort
The exhibition is supported by significant loans from the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (GNAMC), the Intesa San Paolo Collection, and private collections such as those of the Mazzoli and Fioravanti Meoni families. These contributions underscore the enduring relevance of white as a motif in artistic discourse.
A Journey of Reflection
La Via Lattea invites audiences to contemplate white as a powerful and multifaceted element of artistic language. The exhibition’s interplay of historical references, environmental echoes, and contemporary interpretations highlights white’s unique ability to serve as both canvas and content.
The public inauguration will take place on December 6, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the compelling narrative of white in modern art within the evocative setting of Villa d’Este.
Photo credits: All the pictures are propriety of Villa D’Este.
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