Centuripe Opens Antiquarium Exhibition Space with Modern Masters Show

The Sicilian town of Centuripe, shaped like a star in the province of Enna, inaugurates a new exhibition space, the Antiquarium, in the cloister of a former Augustinian convent on July 3, 2021. The opening exhibition, 'Segni' (Signs), curated by Simona Bartolena, features 85 works on paper from the 19th and 20th centuries by European masters including Cézanne, Picasso, Kandinsky, Miró, Vedova, Fontana, and Matisse. The show highlights printmaking and graphic techniques, aiming to elevate the status of artist prints in Italy, which curator Bartolena notes are often undervalued compared to other media. The exhibition also draws a dialogue with the prehistoric rock paintings of Centuripe at Riparo Cassataro, a privately owned archaeological site discovered in 1976 that will be open to the public for the first time during the show. Mayor Salvatore La Spina expressed pride in the new municipal exhibition center, which he hopes will spark a cultural renaissance for the town, supported by local businesses. The Antiquarium aims to become a hub for artistic production and a key part of Centuripe's cultural policy, connecting modern masters with the region's historical and anthropological heritage.