Art Brut and Modern Masters Converge in Reggio Emilia Exhibition

Curated by Giorgio Bedoni and Claudio Spadoni, the exhibition 'L'arte inquieta' at Palazzo Magnani in Reggio Emilia pairs 20th-century masters with Art Brut works, including pieces from the archive of the former San Lazzaro psychiatric hospital. The show originated from the idea of displaying fragile patient drawings from clinical records, then expanded during the pandemic. It features artists like Alberto Giacometti, Paul Klee, Max Ernst, Jean Dubuffet, Keith Haring, Alighiero Boetti, Carla Accardi, Anselm Kiefer, and Maria Lai, alongside outsider artists such as Ligabue, Zavattini, Ghizzardi, Carlo Zinelli, and Federico Saracini. The exhibition is structured in sections: a first part explores anxiety through faces on red walls, a second focuses on serial repetition, and a final section is dedicated to cartography, including imaginary voyages and maps. Bedoni, a psychiatrist and curator, describes the art as 'daughter of expressive urgencies sometimes with the flavor of raw, bitter salt.' The exhibition builds on previous projects by the curators, including a 2018 Dubuffet monograph in Reggio Emilia and the 2013 'Borderline' show in Ravenna.