Daniele Galliano's 'Anything' at Ravenna's Classense Library for Ascoltare Bellezza

The spring edition of the Ascoltare Bellezza exhibition series at Ravenna's Biblioteca Classense features Daniele Galliano's large-scale painting 'Anything' (2017), measuring over 2x3 meters. The work, depicting a chaotic mass of human and non-human figures, is displayed in the Sala del Mosaico alongside a 6th-century floor mosaic. The initiative, launched in 2017 by the Comune di Ravenna after restoring the library's Ala delle Arti, invites contemporary Italian painters to engage with the historic mosaic. Previous participants include Daniela Alfarano, Giovanni Frangi, Luca Pignatelli, and Giovanni Manfredini. Curator Paolo Trioschi explains that the exhibition aligns with seasonal solstices and equinoxes, with Galliano's piece chosen after a site visit. The series aims to foster dialogue between past and present, with artists free to create new works or select existing ones that resonate with the space. The mosaic, covering 90 square meters and dating to the 6th century, was originally a sacred floor and later used as an assembly hall. Galliano's 'Anything' from his recent series is described as a 'painted mosaic' that contrasts with the mosaic's order, provoking reflection on chaos and social openness. The exhibition runs until May 20, 2019.