Bella Figura: Contemporary Italian Figurative Painting in Parma

The exhibition 'Bella figura. Pittura italiana d’oggi' opens at the Complesso Monumentale della Pilotta in Parma, curated by Camillo Langone. It features 44 figurative paintings by living Italian artists, organized into four sections: Moderno, Eterno, Ritratto, and Arte Sacra. Langone selected works based on quality and variety, aiming to showcase a broad spectrum of contemporary Italian figurative painting. He notes that today's painting is neither fully figurative nor abstract, often occupying a non-binary space. The exhibition addresses the return of portraiture and sacred art as genres, and highlights a renewed attention to old masters among younger artists. Langone refrains from claiming a distinct Italian identity in the works, though he observes regional differences between academies in Venice and Florence. The show runs at the Voltoni del Guazzetto within the Pilotta complex.