Carrara Academy's Plaster Casts Go Phygital in New Exhibition

The Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara is showcasing 15 plaster cast masterpieces by Antonio Canova, Bertel Thorvaldsen, Lorenzo Bartolini, and other 19th-century Carrara masters in a pioneering 'phygital' exhibition. The project, named Gypsotheca, merges physical and digitized artworks to enhance public access while preserving the fragile originals. This pilot initiative aligns with the Com/Pnrr project and the City Open Museum (C.O.M.) concept, which reimagines the museum as an open-air, transmedial space. The academy's plaster cast collection, originally a teaching tool, has evolved into a significant museum collection. Concurrently, C.O.M. is fostering community engagement through a site-specific installation by the artistic duo Bianco-Valente (Giovanna Bianco and Pino Valente) in the Caina neighborhood, scheduled to open on August 8 at 18:30. The installation is part of a broader urban regeneration project involving local residents, the ERP (public housing authority), and the Spazio Alber1ca association, which includes workshops, exhibitions, and a neighborhood library with over 1,000 volumes.