Maurizio Galimberti's Polaroid Homage to Bertolucci's 'Novecento' at Palazzo Ducale

Maurizio Galimberti (Como, 1956) presents 'CinquantaNovecento', an exhibition at Palazzo Ducale in Guastalla, Reggio Emilia, marking the 50th anniversary of Bernardo Bertolucci's 1976 film 'Novecento'. The show features Polaroid mosaics and ready-mades that reinterpret the film's imagery. The project originated from the rediscovery of Angelo Novi's on-set photographs, originally compiled for the film crew at Bertolucci's behest. Galimberti reworks these images through fragmentation and recomposition in intense black and white. Palazzo Ducale itself served as a filming location for 'Novecento', adding a layer of significance. The 90 works on display depict the film's cast—Robert De Niro, Gérard Depardieu, Burt Lancaster, Dominique Sanda, Stefania Sandrelli, Donald Sutherland—and broader themes: peasants, Emilia's countryside, social struggles, fascist violence, and the path to freedom. Galimberti's reading emphasizes fragility, with children from Novi's photos symbolizing resilience. The exhibition is part of Galimberti's ongoing series dedicated to 20th-century icons, treating photographic ready-mades as tools to revitalize existing materials. It also includes a 2003 portrait of Bertolucci by Galimberti taken at the Venice Film Festival, a docufilm produced by Regie d'Autore and Corsiero Editore, and an intervention by young photographer Giorgia Ortalli. The show runs until October 4, 2026.