In art and life
A series of exhibitions – a tribute to Carmelo Zotti in Rijeka, Piran, Koper,
and Venice
Authors of the exhibition: Brigitte Brand, Nataša Ivančević, Dejan Mehmedovič
This international and inter-institutional project, an important trilateral
tribute to Carmelo Zotti paid by his students from Croatia, Slovenia, and
Italy begins with the exhibition in the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
in Rijeka. This initiative, apart from the Rijeka Museum, includes Piran
Coastal Galleries (Slovenia) and the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice (Italy).
The moving force of the entire project is the artist Brigitte Brand, Zottis
wife, who was involved in the project from its beginnings in 2006, when it was
initiated in a conversation between Branko Franceschi, Giuliana Carbi, Franco
Jesurun from Trieste Contemporanea, and master Zotti. Unfortunately, Carmelo
Zotti died in May 2007, without having seen the realisation of the idea of
gathering his favourite students, which he was very enthusiastic about. The
whole event was conceived according to his initial instructions and it
includes two Ministries of Culture, four Cities, three institutions, five
exhibition venues, six curators, and twenty artists-students.
The backbone of the exhibition is the presentation of the rich painterly and
drawing work of the renowned Italian artist of Greek origin, Carmelo Zotti
(Trieste 1933 – 2007). A part of his drawing work in large format will be
exhibited for the first time. At the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice Zotti
headed the Painting Department from 1973 to 1990. In the international
environment of the Venice Academy, in Zotti’s Department, along with the
prevailing Italian artists, many students from Slovenia and Croatia perfected
their skills – especially the ones from Rijeka and Istria. In spite of Zotti’s
inclination to figurative painting, abundant in symbolical, mythological, and
ritual topics, art works by his students show multidisciplinary approach and
contemporary problematization of visual expression. This speaks in favour of
the thesis about tolerant and open teacher’s approach to his students, which
created a very inspiring environment for the examination of their personal
artistic motives and interests.
The curators of the exhibition Zotti and His Students – Dino Marangon for
Zotti’s works, Nataša Ivančević for Croatian, Dejan Mehmedovič for Slovenian,
and Franco Tagliapietra for Zotti’s Italian students – have conceived three
phases of the exhibition, which after its premiere at Rijeka’s MMSU will be
presented in Piran’s Coastal Galleries and the City Loggia in Koper to finally
move into the premises of the historical Magazzini del Sale and the Correr
Museum in Venice. In the memory of outstanding human qualities of their
teacher, taking part in the project was enthusiastically embraced by Croatian
artists Zlatko Kopljar, Zdravko Milić, Miljenka Šepić, Robert Sošić, Mauro
Stipanov, and Vlado Zrnić, Slovenian artists Toni Biloslav, Bojan Bole, Slavko
Furlan, Živko I. Marušič, and Ljubo Radovac, as well as Italian artists
Mirella Brugnerotto, Diana Ferrara, Sergej Glinkov, Pope Galli, Daniela
Rizzetto, Mauro Sambo, Paolo Sandano, Davide Skerlj, and Giorgio Valvassori.
The multilingual catalogue accompanying this project is introduced by a
comprehensive essay by Dino Marangon who writes about Carmelo Zotti’s Mythical
painting, which is then followed by critical comments by curators of the
exhibition’s three phases. Specially emphasized is Carmelo Zotti’s teaching
activity, who markedly attempted to leave enough creative freedom to his
students. Their exhibited works prove this by their diversity that varies – as
expressed by the title of Nataša Ivančević’s text – “... from two-dimensional
to digital”. The interview of Carlo Montanaro, Dean of the Venice Academy,
with Giuliana Carbi at the beginning of the catalogue speaks about the vigour
of constant experimenting taking place at the Academy and the historical
contribution of Zotti’s Department – laboratory.
The publishers of the catalogue are: Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art,
Rijeka, Piran Coastal Galleries, Academy of Fine Arts, Venice
Authors of the texts are: Brigitte Brand, Carlo Montanaro, Giuliana Carbi,
Dino Marangon, Franco Tagliapietra, Nataša Ivančević, and Dejan Mehmedovič
Editor of the catalogue: Nataša Ivančević
Exhibition set-up: Brigitte Brand, Nataša Ivančević, Milica Dilas
Opening: Sept. 5th, 2008 at 8 p.m.
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art - MMSU
Dolac 1/II - Fiume (Rijeka)