Panorama Monferrato

"The exhibition project is inspired by principles expressed in La Civil conversazione, and the themes that have been extrapolated from it are the focus of debate even today. Because the exhibition is spread over several different towns," explained curator Carlo Falciani, "the sequence of themes is also meant to be a metaphor for the Renaissance journey of initiation: one example above all is Francesco Colonna's 1499 Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. In this text, the protagonist embarks on a journey of growth and inner transformation marking some milestones through encounters with people, works of art, architecture or thoughts, but also existential trials and reflections that substantially change him."

In a similar way, the contemporary visitor of Panorama will make their way through Camagna Monferrato, Vignale Monferrato, Montemagno Monferrato and Castagnole Monferrato, symbolizing a path of meditation that starts with everyday contrasts and reaches a level of spirituality that is also secular, fostered by art. Like the chapters in a single story, a theme is developed in each of the four towns, transversal to the eras, that help to complete the journey.
In Camagna Monferrato, the theme Lavoro e radici [Labor and Roots] focuses on labor, the root of actions and suffering but also an expression of the land. It focuses on the dual agricultural and industrial soul of many places like Monferrato, which over time have been even violently transformed.
In Vignale Monferrato, Ritratto e identità [Portrait and Identity] develops the portrait as a way of capturing, expressing and integrating into history the identity of a person or a community, representing their thoughts and aspirations.
In Montemagno Monferrato, the theme of Caducità e morte [Transience and Death] shows how, since the Renaissance, the awareness of death has been constantly present in representations of initiatory journeys. Finally, in Castagnole Monferrato, Sacralità dell'arte, anche laica [Sacredness of art, including Secular Art] exalts the possibility of removing oneself from everyday life in favor of contemplation.

Under the patronage of UNESCO, Italian Ministry of Culture and the Piedmont Region, Panorama Monferrato promises to be a unique exhibition experience, an expression of the values of ITALICS. Through art itineraries, it brings together multiple styles, techniques and thoughts, continuing the extraordinary journey that began in 2020 on the webpages of the Italics.art platform, followed by the editions in Procida (2021), Monopoli (2022) and L'Aquila (2023).

Panorama 's format was intentionally conceived and shared by the consortium of galleries with an eye to collaborating with the territories involved. It is a symbol of commitment intended to gradually expand into a program and alliances aimed at reaffirming the central role of art galleries in an ever-evolving cultural, local and global system.

For the third year in a row, Belmond confirms its support for ITALICS activities as Main Partner, consolidating the strong attention and care it has always shown for the cultural heritage and history of the places where it operates. As a pioneer of slow travel, Belmond has indeed developed a long and successful tradition of excellence in the field of hospitality, creating genuine travel experiences where the route leading to a place is as important as the destination itself. The partnership with ITALICS thus continues to deepen Belmond's aim of promoting Italy and its territory, with particular attention to destinations such as Monferrato and placing significant emphasis on the promotion and preservation of lesser-known but no less valuable landscapes and natural resources for the future. By focusing on local art and culture together with ITALICS, Belmond is inviting the public to discover and experience the beauty spread across the country from a more current and authentic point of view, striving to highlight its past to create a new legacy.

Il Giornale dell'Arte is a media partner of Panorama Monferrato.

Participants in Panorama Monferrato include: A arte Invernizzi, Galerie Rolando Anselmi, Apalazzogallery, Galleria Alessandro Bagnai, Alfonso Artiaco, Bacarelli, Bottegantica, Botticelli Antichità, Galleria Canesso, CAR Gallery, Cardi Gallery, Galleria Continua, Galleria Raffaella Cortese, Thomas Dane Gallery, Monica De Cardenas, Massimo De Carlo, Dep Art Gallery, Galleria Tiziana Di Caro, Alessandra Di Castro, Galleria Umberto Di Marino, Galleria Doris Ghetta, Galleria d'Arte Frediano Farsetti, Federica Schiavo Gallery, Galleria Fumagalli, Gagosian, Galleria dello Scudo, Giacometti Old Master Paintings, Gian Marco Casini Gallery, kaufmann repetto, Laveronica Arte Contemporanea, Galleria Lia Rumma, Lunetta11, Gió Marconi, Mazzoleni, London-Torino, Francesca Minini, Galleria Massimo Minini, ML Fine Art, Maurizio Nobile Fine Art, Galleria Franco Noero, Galleria Carlo Orsi, Osart Gallery, P420, Walter Padovani, Giorgio Persano, Pinksummer, Prometeo Gallery Ida Pisani, Richard Saltoun Gallery, Secci Gallery, Simóndi, SpazioA, Studio Sales di Norberto Ruggeri, Studio Gariboldi, Studio Trisorio, T293, Tim Van Laere Gallery, Caterina Tognon Arte Contemporanea, Tornabuoni Arte, Tucci Russo Studio per l'Arte Contemporanea, Victoria Miro Venice, Galleria Carlo Virgilio & C., Vistamare, ZERO...

Carlo Falciani teaches Art History at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence and is an independent curator. He studied at the University of Florence, where he graduated with a thesis on Rosso Fiorentino, and has been a fellow at Villa I Tatti, Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies, and the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. He has published monographs on Rosso Fiorentino and Pontormo and essays on Renaissance and contemporary art. At the Jacquemart-André Museum in Paris, he curated the exhibition Florence, portraits à la cour de Médicis; at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, he curated the trilogy Bronzino. Pittore e poeta alla corte dei Medici (2010-2011), Pontormo e Rosso, divergenti vie della "maniera" (2014), and Il Cinquecento a Firenze (2017-2018). For the Metropolitan Museum in New York, he co-curated with Keith Christiansen the exhibition The Medici. Portraits and Politics (2021).

Italics promotes the widespread culture and beauty of Italy through a national network based on collaboration among gallery owners and the sharing of experiences, on and offline, with an international audience of experts and enthusiasts. ITALICS is a consortium that brings together seventy-four of the most authoritative Italian galleries of ancient, modern and contemporary art. The project originated in the dark days of the pandemic, on 25 April 2020, with an idea that came from Lorenzo Fiaschi (Galleria Continua) President, and Pepi Marchetti Franchi (Gagosian) Vice President. The idea was later developed and shared with Alfonso Artiaco, Ludovica Barbieri (Massimo De Carlo), Massimo Di Carlo (Galleria dello Scudo), Francesca Kaufmann (kaufmann repetto), Massimo Minini, Franco Noero and Carlo Orsi, who became promoting partners.
The underlying objective of ITALICS is to develop new ways to facilitate cultural and human encounters between art enthusiasts and others, realizing projects that embrace Italy's cultural heritage and landscape through art and rediscovery, characterized by a multidisciplinary approach and by establishing strong relationships with the territory.
A working group was then formed around the vision of telling the story of Italy and its extraordinary uniqueness through the eyes of gallerists. They then invited other galleries throughout mainland Italy and the islands to take part in the project, including some of the most established national and international galleries of ancient, modern and contemporary art, as well as up-and-coming and experimental ventures.
Today, ITALICS is an extremely dynamic organization that is constantly evolving. In September 2021, the ideas, inspirations and commitment of the galleries led to the island of Procida (NA), later named Italian Capital of Culture 2022. This was the first edition of the city-wide exhibition Panorama. The itinerary, spread over 31 locations and involving 51 artists, led visitors to explore the powerful beauty of the Neapolitan island. Then, in 2022, the second edition was held in Monopoli. The itinerary involved 19 venues and the works of 59 artists. Curated by Vincenzo de Bellis like the previous edition, Panorama Monopoli developed as a vast choral tale, drawing inspiration from the Greek concept of xenia and with it summing up the sense of hospitality and the relationship with the outsider. The third edition, held last year in L'Aquila, recently named Italian Capital of Culture 2026, was curated by Cristiana Perrella. The exhibition brought the Abruzzo capital to life with its 20 venues, 60 artists, and 100 or more works of art, creating a composite portrait of the Abruzzo city, consisting of both its historical monumentality and the industriousness of daily life. In September 2024, the event will move to Monferrato under the curatorship of Carlo Falciani and will revolve around the principles of Stefano Guazzo's writing, La Civil conversazione [The Civil Conversation].

In collaboration with the Municipalities of Camagna Monferrato, Castagnole Monferrato, Montemagno Monferrato, Vignale Monferrato

Under the patronage of: UNESCO, Italian Ministry of Culture, Piedmont Region

Main Partner: Belmond. Media Partner: Il Giornale dell'Arte