#ARTISTSINQUARANTINE: Instagram Exhibition for Locked-Down Italian Artists

On March 7, 2020, curator Giada Pellicari initiated #ARTISTSINQUARANTINE, an Instagram exhibition showcasing twelve Italian artists who were in lockdown within Italy's 'red zones' due to COVID-19. After reviewing a draft of the DPCM decree that limited movement in northern Italy, she reached out to artists from cities like Venice, Padua, Modena, Brescia, Pesaro, Urbino, and Milan, inviting them to serve as 'correspondents' from their respective quarantine locations. Featured artists include Alvise Bittente, Andrea Grotto, and Sophie Westerlind (Venice); Antonio Guiotto (Padua); Andrea Chiesi (Modena); Marco Gobbi (Brescia); Mara Oscar Cassiani (Pesaro/Urbino); Vera Portatadino (Milan); and Kamilia Kard (Milan, in Paris). Pellicari selected Instagram for its widespread appeal and potential to create a 'social and immaterial, cultural and economic challenge' lasting until April 3, 2020, drawing inspiration from Lucio Amelio's 1980 'Terrae Motus' exhibition after the Irpinia earthquake. The initiative aims to sustain cultural visibility amidst the crisis and encourage new artistic connections across generations.