Emilio Isgrò's 'Canto Napoli' exhibition transforms Neapolitan music scores through erasure

From April 10 to September 29, Emilio Isgrò showcases 'Canto Napoli,' an exhibition honoring Naples at the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, curated by Eike Schmidt. The display includes twenty-five musical scores transformed using Isgrò's 'Cancellatura' technique, featuring classics such as 'O Sole mio' (1898) and 'Malafemmena' (1951). Created in 2025, the artworks combine mixed media on paper and fabric, alongside three-dimensional elements like mandolins and a guitar, which are inhabited by insects. The exhibition highlights Neapolitan music as a vital cultural legacy, encouraging audience interaction through the concept of erasure. Isgrò characterizes the music as 'profoundly democratic,' linking historical texts to contemporary and future contexts.