Bertozzi & Casoni's ceramic roses dialogue with Morandi at Bologna museum

At the Museo Morandi in Bologna, a small exhibition in the central corridor pairs Giorgio Morandi's paintings of roses with ceramic works by the Imola-based duo Giampaolo Bertozzi and Stefano Dal Monte Casoni. Morandi's roses, preserved in his home on via Fondazza, were dried or silk—artificial flowers that gathered dust, creating tonal effects the painter deliberately sought. Bertozzi & Casoni's equally artificial roses showcase their mastery of ceramics and their reflection on art's ability to imitate and subvert nature, often veering into Surrealism. Three vases created as a homage to Morandi evoke a Flemish sense of still life as memento mori, with beetles resting on the petals. Art historian Eugenio Riccomini, in the exhibition text, admires the works as 'life. Fake, yes, but that seems real.' The exhibition opened in November 2019.