Emilio Isgrò Cancels Neapolitan Song at Museo di Capodimonte
The Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte in Naples is hosting Emilio Isgrò's solo exhibition, Canto Napoli, curated by Eike Schmidt, until September 29, 2026. Showcasing 25 altered Neapolitan song scores through Isgrò's cancellatura technique, the display maintains some elements while erasing text. The collection features songs ranging from Te voglio bene assaje (1839) to Napule è (1977), with highlights including Funiculì funiculà (1880) and 'O sole mio (1898). Additionally, the exhibition presents a diptych of 'O sole mio in two variations and sculptures of a guitar and mandolins created in 2025. Isgrò, who donated four works, views the exhibition as both a cultural initiative and a tribute to Naples. The museum's address is via Lucio Amelio 2, Naples.
Key facts
- Emilio Isgrò's solo exhibition Canto Napoli is on view at the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte in Naples until September 29, 2026.
- The exhibition is curated by Eike Schmidt and presents 25 Neapolitan song scores subjected for the first time to Isgrò's cancellatura technique.
- The repertoire spans from Te voglio bene assaje (1839) to Napule è (1977), including 'O sole mio (1898), Funiculì funiculà (1880), Torna a Surriento (1894), Malafemmena (1951), and others.
- Isgrò donated four works to the Museo di Capodimonte.
- The show includes a diptych dedicated to 'O sole mio (1898) in two chromatic variants with inverted black and light backgrounds.
- Bees and ants appear on the surfaces as 'mobile cancellations,' creating choreographic patterns that interfere with erased areas.
- Three sculptures made in 2025—two mandolins and a classical guitar—are presented life-size and subjected to the same cancellatura intervention.
- The Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte is located at via Lucio Amelio 2 in Naples.
Entities
Artists
- Emilio Isgrò
- Eike Schmidt
- Isabella Battista
- Salvatore Di Giacomo
- Pino Daniele
Institutions
- Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte
- Artribune
- San Carlo
- San Bartolomeo
- Archivio Emilio Isgrò
Locations
- Naples
- Italy
- Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto
- Campania
- via Lucio Amelio 2
Sources
- Artribune —
- Rivista Segno —
- segnonline —