Charlotte Salomon's 'Vita? O teatro?' Published in Italian by Castelvecchi

Charlotte Salomon's monumental work 'Leben oder Theater? Ein Autobiographisches Singspiel in 769 Bildern' has been published in Italian as 'Vita? O teatro?' by Castelvecchi Editore. The 820-page volume, priced at €115, includes a complete translation of her visual poem. The translation from French was done by Massimo De Pascale, based on the 2015 edition by Le Tripode. Salomon (Berlin, 1917 – Auschwitz, 1943) created this autobiographical singspiel combining painting and writing. The work gained recognition after Willem Sandberg organized a retrospective at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, followed by international exhibitions. In 2012, Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev included it in Documenta 13 in Kassel, marking its entry into modern art history, according to Joel Cahen, director of the Jewish Historical Museum Amsterdam. The Italian edition presents Salomon's narrative that blends German Expressionist imagery with musical references, such as Weber's 'Wir winden dir den Jungfernkranz' and Kletke's 'Am Weihnachtsbaum die Lichter brennen'. The work is structured as a lyrical composition divided into acts, akin to a Singspiel. Salomon illustrates her life from childhood to the Holocaust, with text on page 42 reading 'Wir winden dir den Jungfernkranz mit veilchenblauer Seide' written like a serpent. The publication coincides with the film 'Charlotte' and follows the original edition by Gary Schwartz.