1919: Birth of Primo Levi, Malevich's Cosmic Suprematism, and First Surrealist Literary Work

The year 1919 marks the birth of Primo Levi in Turin (1919-1987), chemist, writer, poet, and Auschwitz survivor. His testimony 'Se questo è un uomo' (1947) became a classic, translated into 45 languages. For the centenary, the Centro Internazionale di Studi Primo Levi and the Comitato Nazionale per le celebrazioni organize events including a theatrical adaptation by Valter Malosti at Teatro Carignano (April 23-May 12, 2019), readings of 'Il sistema periodico' with Luigi Lo Cascio, and a concert of Steve Reich's 'Different Trains'. Also in 1919, Kazimir Malevich reached the peak of cosmic Suprematism, exhibiting at the 16th State Exhibition in Moscow and teaching at the Moscow Academy and Vitebsk Academy (invited by Chagall), where he founded the Unovis group with students including El Lissitzky. Meanwhile, André Breton and Paul Soupault conducted automatic writing experiments, resulting in 'Les Champs magnétiques' (published 1920), considered the first surrealist literary work. A centenary exhibition 'I campi magnetici' curated by Cecilia Alemani runs from May 4 to July 19, 2019 at Galleria Gió Marconi in Milan.