Federico Zeri. A personal diary

TheCarrara Academy is dedicating a major, comprehensive exhibition project to the figure of Federico Zeri, a renowned art historian and keen connoisseur of the twentieth century, with the aim of exploring his critical approach in greater depth and celebrating his deep and generous connection with the museum. The exhibition begins with the extraordinary donation made by the critic in 1998, composed of forty-six sculptures diverse in terms of period, material and provenance, which serve to illustrate his distinctive critical eye and his rigorous method of investigation.

The exhibition brings together paintings, sculptures, books, photographs, video e original documents, unfolding across four clearly defined thematic sections. The exhibition route pairs the sculptures with the works that have been brought together in the new Scientific catalogue, highlights the paintings held in the museum on which the scholar carried out previously unpublished attributions and critical revisions, and explores his invaluable library along with the famous radio appearances, reflecting his extensive work in popularising art. Particular attention is given to the Dutch paintings that once belonged to the collection of Giovanni Morelli, a key figure in the scholar’s education.

Conceived as a veritable “heritage worksite”, the exhibition offers the public a glimpse into the museum’s behind-the-scenes workings. Through works unearthed from the deposits, new research campaigns and complex interventions involving restoration, visitors have the opportunity to observe first-hand the processes of conservation, scientific analysis and presentation that form part of the day-to-day care of our artistic heritage.