CLIMAX

A multi-faceted exhibition conceived by the curator Alberto Bernardelli to create a striking visual and emotional connection between great classical painting and modern abstraction. The centrepiece of the exhibition lies in a true masterpiece of 18th-century painting held in the permanent collections of the Francesco Gonzaga Diocesan Museum a Mantua: the majestic painting The Dream of Saint Romuald, painted in the mid-18th century by the famous painter from Mantua Giuseppe Bazzani. The painting depicts the mystical and ascetic vision of Saint Romuald, caught in his sleep whilst gazing at a staircase leading to Paradise, with monks climbing it.

Characterised by an extraordinary synthesis of forms and a refined colour palette centred on shades of sky blue, this 18th-century work surprisingly foreshadows the expressive language of the contemporary era. For the occasion, the painting has been moved from the piano nobile to take its place at the centre of the Hall of Columns, surrounded by the works of nine renowned abstract artists from Italy and abroad: Renate Balda, Giuseppe Botturi, Sonia Costantini, Alessandro Gamba, Marino Iotti, Augusto Morari, Claudia Moretti, Alfonso Talotta e Stefano Turrini. Each artist has created a major, previously unpublished work inspired by the themes, composition and luminous energy of the work by the Bazzani, accompanied by further supporting material. A lively dialogue that breaks down historical barriers to reveal continuity, enduring elements and resonances between the figurative art of the past and contemporary painting.