Chiara Dynys Reimagines Neapolitan Nativity Scene at Casamadre Gallery

Italian artist Chiara Dynys presents a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional Neapolitan nativity scene at Casamadre gallery in Naples, on view until January 18, 2024. The exhibition features 15 terracotta sculptures from her series 'Presepe' (2023), each figure imbued with autonomous energy and individuality, breaking from the conventional unified composition. Dynys collaborated with local Neapolitan artisans to craft the pieces, using glazed terracotta in varied hues to create a hypnotic visual immediacy. The works are displayed alongside 22 light fragments from her series 'Un'eterna ghirlanda brillante' (2022), made of ergal, which illuminate the space like astral drawings or comets. The artist describes the nativity scene as a universal language that addresses social issues, individual discomfort, and minority problems without unnecessary paraphrase, while celebrating the eternal beauty of Naples. The exhibition merges ancient tradition—the first known nativity depiction dates to the 3rd century in Rome's Catacombs of Priscilla—with contemporary renewal. Dynys, born in Mantua in 1958, has long been fascinated by Naples, and her works evoke forms emerging from matter like rocks from receding waves. The installation creates a suspended time between past and present, inviting viewers into an alchemical, magical dimension.