XNL Aperto 2023
PIACENZA from Sept. 23, 2023
Second edition
The Rete Cultura Piacenza (Piacenza Culture Network), which includes the Foundation of Piacenza and Vigevano, Municipality of Piacenza, Province of Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna Region, Chamber of Commerce, and Diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio, is excited to announce the second edition of XNL Aperto, an expansive project dedicated to contemporary arts, spanning across Piacenza and its surrounding areas. The opening event will take place on Saturday, September 23rd at 5:00 PM.
The project is coordinated by XNL Arte and brings together a consortium of esteemed professionals who share an interest in enriching the connection between the local area and its cultural heritage within an institutional framework, through special events and extraordinary openings.
This second edition consolidates the vision of a plural cultural community sharing experiences and the desire to develop a different way of enjoying the richness of places through knowledge of the arts of our time.
The emotional landscape of contemporary art that was established in 2022 has now been enriched by new institutions, galleries, artist studios, and projects located in Piacenza and neighbouring villages.
Once again, Propp has designed the graphics of the event. The project’s visual identity draws inspiration from Piacenza’s civic heraldry. While the first edition featured the she-wolf as its symbol, this year’s symbol is the bee, representing the industrious spirit of the local population.
The second edition of XNL Aperto will feature the following projects: Fenestella, curated by a consortium of private galleries (Cardelli & Fontana, Corvi-Mora, ED Gallery, greengrassi, UNA Gallery); Alfabeto Bianco, conceived by Francesca and Ruggero Montrasio, with the participation of Montrasio Arte Monza and Milan, and of ZERO…; UNA Gallery, in its Piacenza venue; Biffi Arte and Spazio BFT; and Volumnia, which will host the fourth DucatoPrize, back in Piacenza after two years and with several novelties.
The partnership with the city’s institutions and museums remains strong. The Ricci Oddi Modern Art Gallery is set to unveil its gardens for a music performance curated by Concorto. Noteworthy newcomers include the Alberoni gallery, the network of Diocesan Museums, notably, the Mazzolini Collection Museum, which is part of the larger museum complex located within the St. Columbanus Monastery in Bobbio.
XNL is also delighted to introduce an inaugural group of artists who will generously open their studios to the public. Among them are Claudia Losi, MASBEDO, Ugo Locatelli, William Xerra, and Nes Lerpa.
Between modern and contemporary, private spaces and public places, the program also extends its reach to nearby villages through initiatives like Una Boccata d’Arte, in Travo, which marks the culmination of the artist Raghad Saqfalhait’s residency project with the screening of the documentary “Una Boccata d’Arte – 20 artists, 20 villages, 20 regions” . Additionally, the itinerary ventures into an extraordinary experience at The Shit Museum (Campremoldo Sopra, near Gragnano Trebbiense), an ecological and innovative project, launched in 2015 within the confines of a medieval castle’s ground floor, which ingeniously merges nature, art, and technology.
Finally, XNL Art is pleased to announce on this occasion its two new exhibitions, which address the theme of the city and its heritage from different perspectives. Perimetro Piacenza, is a collective work carried out over the past few months in collaboration with Perimetro magazine and Cesura – Luca Santese, involving workshops and photographic campaigns which render an urban landscape made of never-before-seen faces and places. While Sul guardare is a series of exhibitions dedicated to lesser-known works from the collections of Piacenza museums, in dialogue with contemporary artists. For this first chapter, works from the collection of a Ricci Oddi Modern Art Gallery will be set in a new frame of meaning thanks to the work of Massimo Grimaldi. The project will last one year and will see several artists interact with works from the collections of Piacenza and its territory.
Thanks to our strong partnership with local high schools, on the opening night of September 23rd, a group of students will be on hand to assist visitors in navigating between the different venues.
AGENDA 23-24 SEPTEMBER
Saturday, September 23rd
From 5:00 PM at XNL Piacenza: Opening of the exhibitions Sul Guardare e Perimetro Piacenza
At 5:30 PM ETICA/ESTETICA in the auditorium on the second floor of XNL. Artist Massimo Grimaldi will engage in a conversation with critic and curator Luca Cerizza, as they introduce the exhibition titled Sul Guardare
At 6:30 PM in the first-floor gallery, the photographers participating in the PerimetroPiacenza project will discuss their creative works.
At 5:00 PM Opening of the special projects Fenestella, DucatoPrize, Alfabeto Bianco, along with exhibitions in the BFT, Biffi Arte, Rathaus, and Volumnia spaces.
5 PM/9 PM Special opening of these spaces.
From 10:30 PM in the courtyard of the Ricci Oddi Modern Art Gallery, DJ sets and live music.
Sunday, September 24th
10:30 AM/1:30 PM Opening of artist’s studios Claudia Losi, MASBEDO, Ugo Locatelli, William Xerra, Nes Lerpa.
2023 EDITION: PROJECTS
FENESTELLA
Established in September 2022, Fenestella is a curated project by a consortium of private galleries (Cardelli & Fontana, Corvi-Mora, ED Gallery, greengrassi, UNA Gallery), housed in a former department store in via XX Settembre. This edition of Fenestella proudly presents the inaugural solo exhibition of Stephany Nwobodo, Mourning, thoughtfully curated by Mistura Allison. Besides that, each gallery will showcase artworks from different artists: Michele Lombardelli’s pieces are brought together in the Un prisma sul disegno exhibition (Cardelli & Fontana), Pierpaolo Campanini (Corvi-Mora), Guerrino Tramonti (ED Gallery), Catherine Biocca (greengrassi), Elvire Bonduelle (UNA Gallery). This year, as a continuation of tradition, the project is complemented by a musical event titled “ORGANA – Nutrirsi di vento” featuring Alessandro D’Alessandro and Maddalena Scagnelli, in collaboration with Appennino Festival. The inception of Fenestella was inspired by a desire to harmonize artistic expression with wine culture, leading galleries to collaborate with local winemakers. This innovative synergy cultivates a fresh distribution model for creative endeavours and their resulting products. In this year’s edition, the collaboration involves esteemed winemakers Elena Pantaleoni (La Stoppa) and Alberto Anguissola (CasĂ©)..
Venue via XX Settembre 67 | PIACENZA
Date from September 23rd to October 22nd, 2023
Website fenestella.it
ALFABETO BIANCO
Alfabeto Bianco is a project envisioned by Francesca and Ruggero Montrasio encapsulating a multidisciplinary realm and serving as a hub for urban anthropology. Sustainability takes centre stage, serving as pivotal axis for a comprehensive exploration spanning different languages. On this occasion, Montrasio Arte and ZERO… showcase the works of Joseph Beuys and Enzo Cucchi.
Venue Alfabeto Bianco, Via Nova 53 | PIACENZA
Date until September 30th, 2023
Website alfabetobianco.com
UNA GALLERY
UNA Gallery presents the group exhibition Lighea, showcasing artworks by Elisa Giardina Papa, Carla Grunauer, and Andreia Santana. These artists have been invited to delve into their origins through a voyage that hovers between history and mythology, ancient traditions, and a contemporary perspective.
Venue UNA, via S.Antonino 33 | PIACENZA
Date from September 23rd, 2023, to February 10th, 2024
Website unagalleria.com
DUCATOPRIZE
As a highlight of this year’s events, Volumnia, an art gallery housed within the former Church of St, Augustine, renews its collaboration with the DucatoPrize, a biennial project that rewards and empowers emerging contemporary artists. Established in 2019 to foster a dialogue between contemporary art and the rich territory of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, the DucatoPrize focuses its gaze on both nationally and internationally recognised artists within the realm of contemporary art, while also extending its reach to young art students. The goal is to provoke a critical reflection on the most significant and timely facets of the present. This edition introduces several innovations: the number of finalists has been expanded from three to five for both the Contemporary and Academy categories. The selection is overseen by a Collector’s Board of ten esteemed international members, and a new panel of jurors: Julieta Aranda, Nerina Ciaccia, Luigi Fassi, Stéphane Ibars, Bernardo Mosqueira.
The works that made it to the final will be showcased in a display designed by Fosbory Architecture. The finalists are: Tomaso De Luca, Adji Dieye, Xavier Robles de Medina, Wisrah Villefort, Liao Wen, for the Contemporary category; Friedrich Andreoni, Luca Campestri, Gala Hernández López, Flavia Spasari, Alla Zhyvotova, for the Academy category. On this occasion, the winners of the two categories selected by the panel of expert jurors coordinate by the art director Giacomo Pigliapoco, will be publicly revealed, and celebrated.
Venue Volumnia at Chiesa di S. Agostino, Stradone Farnese 33 | PIACENZA
Date from September 23rd to October 22nd, 2023
Website ducatoprize.com
BIFFI ARTE
Biffi Arte contributes to the project with two events: La visione e il segno is an anthological exhibition of the artist Romano Tagliaferri, thoughtfully curated by Elena Pontiggia. Running from September 9th to October 15th, it delves into a comprehensive exploration of Tagliaferri’s artistic journey, bridging the realms of fantasy and memory. It serves as a contemplative meditation on the essence of nature’s vitality and its enigmatic complexity. Additionally, The Kids Are Alright stands out as a tribute to the 60th anniversary of “The Who”. Curated by Eleonora Bagarotti, this exhibition commences on September 23rd and runs until November 5th, housed withing the charming Antico Nevaio room).
Venue Biffi Arte Gallery, via Chiapponi 39 | PIACENZA
Date Exhibition Romano Tagliaferri. La visione e il segno from September 9th to October 15th, 2023, | Exhibition The Kids Are Alright 60 Years of The Who from September 23rd to November 5th, 2023
Website biffiarte.it
SPAZIO BFT – TIFF
This year’s programme further encompasses SPAZIO BFT, a gallery exclusively devoted to contemporary photography under the supervision of TIFF. The exhibition Abitare lo sguardo will showcase a captivating array of works by artists Fulvio Guerrieri/Paola Dallavalle, Ugo Locatelli, and Marco Rigamonti.
Venue Spazio BFT, vicolo Edilizia 25 | PIACENZA
Date from Sept. 23 to Nov. 11, 2023
Website collettivotiff.it
RATHAUS
The cultural venue located on Via Giordani is set to host the opening of the exhibition Un Po(‘) di plastica showcasing abandoned waste collected from the Po River by an enthusiastic rivergoer. This event provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the pressing concerns of pollution and waste, both on a local level and beyond, through an immersive experience featuring videos and sound installations. The exhibition will kick off with a discussion led by the Plastic Free association of Piacenza. Supported by Iren.
Venue Rathaus, via Pietro Giordani, 4 | PIACENZA
Date from September 23rd to September 30th, 2023, Opening Saturday, September 23rd at 10:30
Mon/Fri – 10/22, Saturday – until midnight
Website facebook.com/Rathaus.art/
CONCORTO FILMHAUS
The Via Giordani venue also accommodates the temporary Concorto Filmhaus space, where visitors can view the video artwork Nothing Escapes My Eyes by David Krippendorff (Germany, 2015, Fiction / Experimental 14′ 10″). Drawing inspiration from Verdi’s Aida, the film depicts the gradual and melancholic loss of identity experienced by both a place and a human being as they silently undergo transformation.
Venue via Pietro Giordani, 4 | PIACENZA
Date 23/09-30/09/2023. Lun/ven – 10/22, sabato fino alle 24
Website: concortofilmfestival.com
RICCI ODDI MODERN ART GALLERY
Ricci Oddi Modern Art Gallery has solidified its presence in this year’s edition and will uniquely open its garden to host a music performance curated by Concorto.
Venue Courtyard of Ricci Oddi Modern Art Gallery, via San Siro 13 | PIACENZA
Date September 23rd, special opening until 9:00 PM Party and dj sets from 10:30 PM
Website riccioddi.it
ALBERONI GALLERY
The Alberoni Gallery is set to reopen its doors on Sunday, September 24th, following s summer break. Throughout the entirety of October, exclusively on Sundays, visitors will have the opportunity to explore an exhibition centred around Ugo Locatelli’s creation Impronta di pace, crafted from fragments of Jerusalem stone. The exhibition is complemented by photographs captured by Monica Veneziani, Luigi Carugati, and Carlo Francou, which depict significant locations in the Holy City. The curation is skilfully overseen by Carlo Franc.
Venue Alberoni at Collegio Alberoni, via Emilia Parmense, 77 | PIACENZA
Date every Sunday, from September 24th to end October 2023. Opening hours 15-18
Website: collegioalberoni.it
MAZZOLINI COLLECTION MUSEUM
This year, the XNL Aperto itinerary proudly encompasses the Mazzolini Collection Museum. This institution, inaugurated on November 23, 2015, coinciding with the festivities honouring the patron saint of Bobbio, is an integral part of the museum complex housed within the grand chambers of the St. Columbanus monastery The exhibition is prefaced by three rooms that eloquently narrate the journey of the collectors and their treasured assemblage. Dedicated in honour of Domenica Rosa Mazzolini, a devoted nurse with a deep passion for art, the museum is a testament to her legacy. In 2005, she generously bestowed upon the Diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio a remarkable collection of nine hundred modern and contemporary artworks from the collection of Giovanni Battista Ettore Simonetti, a globally recognized proctologist. This significant donation laid the foundation for what would later evolve into a remarkable nucleus of a comprehensive museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art. Noteworthy artists featured within the collection include Lucio Fontana, Renato Birolli, Carlo CarrĂ , Massimo Campigli, Giuseppe Capogrossi, Giorgio De Chirico, and others.
Venue Mazzolini Collection Museum, Piazza Santa Fara | BOBBIO (PC)
Date September 23rd and September 24th from 14:30 to 17:30
Website: museocollezionemazzolini.it
UNA BOCCATA D’ARTE
XNL Aperto is also delighted to spotlight the finissage of Una Boccata d’Arte, in Travo. This event was inaugurated with an engaging artist conversation held within the premises of XNL Art in June. It forms an integral part of an art project encompassing various Italian villages, an initiative championed by the Elpis Foundation under the guidance of its president, Marina Nissim. This collaboration is further bolstered by the partnership with Galleria Continua and led by the capable direction of Bruno Barsanti. At its heart is Palestinian artist Raghad Atfalati, who has actively engaged and co-created with the Travo community. Their collaboration materialized through the project La montagna è ancora in movimento, orchestrated under the thoughtful coordination of Sofia Baldi Pighi.
On Saturday, September 23rd, at 18, a public screening of the documentary titled “Una Boccata d’Arte – 20 Artists, 20 Villages, 20 Regions” will take place in the Council Chamber of Anguissola Castle in Travo. This documentary, which originally premiered on SkyArte on September 9th, offers a unique opportunity to revisit the 20 artistic interventions that unfolded throughout the summer featuring 20 artists dispersed across 20 distinct Italian villages. These initiatives encompassed exhibitions, performances, and site-specific installations. The documentary, expertly crafted by TIWI, weaves together footage and interviews to vividly portray these artistic creations.
Venue Organico Perduca Theatre, Termine Grosso | Cellars of Anguissola Castle, Piazza Trieste, and banks of the Trebbia river | TRAVO
Date finissage September 23rd/24th
Website: unaboccatadarte.it
THE SHIT MUSEUM
Situated in the Castelbosco farm, in Gragnano Trebbiense, this museum hosts the captivating Man, Nature, Culture (title of the work by artist Claudio Costa). This immersive experience encompasses a wide range of artistic expressions, from David Tremlett’s wall drawings adorning stables and renewable energy facilities, to Anne and Patrick Poirier’s transformative landscape intervention. Inside the medieval castle, visitors will find a museum housing an impressive collection of works by artists such as Badura, Baruchello, Becher, Coda Zabetta, Costa, Devries, Parmigiani, Spoerri, and Valsecchi. Furthermore, the museum showcases an installation of Merdacotta’s objects, which earned the first Milano Design Award. The Shit Shop will be open.
Venue Campremoldo Sopra, Località Castelbosco, Gragnano Trebbiense | PC
Date Saturday, September 23rd – 15/17:30, Saturday, September 24th –11/13 and 14:30/17:30
Website: museodellamerda.org
ARTIST STUDIOS
Claudia Losi | via Angelo Genocchi,16 – Piacenza losiclaudia@gmail.com
MASBEDO | via Gian Domenico Romagnosi, 58 – Piacenza masbedo@masbedo.org | masbedo.org
Ugo Locatelli | vicolo dell’Edilizia, 22 – Piacenza locatelliareale@gmail.com | ugolocatelli.it
William Xerra | via Giuseppe Taverna, 48 – Piacenza g.xerra@gmail.com | xerra.it
Nes Lerpa | borgo Lanfranco, Agazzano (Pc)Â neslerpa@gmail.com | neslerpa.com
