 |
DE | IT |
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
ESA-NL |
 Exibitions |
| Current |
| Archive » |
| Forthcoming |
| Privacy |
|
||||||||
| _ De Mirabilibus Mundi: The magic of the carpets of the East | ||||||||
|
||||||||
| De Mirabilibus Mundi: The magic of the carpets of the East Pordenone 2008 In collaboration with Pordenone city council and Friuli Venezia Giulia Region. Curated by Carlo Scaramuzza. Catalogue by esaExpoedizioni Set in the evocative surroundings of St. Francis' church, Pordenone, the exhibition offered visitors a ride through the history of the art of the carpet, a product of prestige from the East which aroused such amazement when it arrived in Europe. This highly educational show was devised to guide a non-specialist audience on a journey through this fascinating world, with top quality pieces on display throughout. From the humble bedside rug to a feature which adds ambience and provides a tangible demonstration of social status and intellectual sophistication, the carpet is the focus of attention on this journey. We are invited to reflect on "beauty" as a universal value which each culture interprets and expresses through the art form it finds most natural. And the carpet is also a vehicle for a discussion of the "foreign": foreign civilizations, foreign art and foreign histories. Increasing our understanding of this world also entails a symbolic and subconscious return to our origins, as the history of the carpet goes hand in hand with that of Man. The materials, tools and techniques used to make it have not changed with time, and the carpet continues to stand as an artistic icon, of profound significance and allure. Although aimed at a non-specialist audience, the exhibition included a number of acknowledged masterpieces; important loans – from the M.I.K. in Berlin, the Corsini Gallery and the Bardini Museum in Florence, and the Palazzo Venezia Museum in Rome – appeared side by side with important paintings and an antique Anatolian tent. |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
