Maria Vittoria Baravelli on Art, Memory, and the Power of Images in New Book

Maria Vittoria Baravelli, curator, author, and lecturer, has published a new visual culture essay titled "Il mondo non merita la fine del mondo" (Rizzoli). The book explores why we fall in love with artworks, how art intensifies existence, and how encountering images can become a form of knowledge. Baravelli discusses her relationship with art, memory, and the body, drawing on her project "Gli archivi sognano" with photographer Piero Gemelli, which reactivates hidden archival materials through photography and writing. The title is a verse from a poem by Wisława Szymborska dedicated to Johannes Vermeer. Baravelli emphasizes the importance of physical presence in experiencing art, citing Marina Abramović and Gina Pane. She mentions her favorite museums: Brera, Museo del Novecento, Poldi Pezzoli in Milan, and internationally the Frick Collection, Musée d'Orsay, Rijksmuseum, and Villa Giulia, where her exhibition "Le stanze dei sogni dimenticati" with Piero Gemelli runs until July 12.