Disney Animation Secrets Revealed in Rome Exhibition

A major exhibition titled 'Disney. L’arte di raccontare storie senza tempo' opens at Palazzo Barberini in Rome, following a successful run at Mudec in Milan. Organized by 24 ORE Cultura-Gruppo 24 ORE and curated by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library with scientific consultation by Federico Fiecconi, the show runs until September 25, 2022. It features over 65 million original works from Disney archives, including concept art, sketches, and unused materials. The exhibition explores Disney's narrative sources—myth, folklore, fairy tales—and technological innovations from synchronized sound in 'Steamboat Willie' (1928) to the multiplane camera and CAPS. Interactive stations let visitors experience animation creation. Mary Walsh, Managing Director of the Disney Animation Research Library, notes that the archive holds 5 petabytes of digital creations and is frequently consulted by current filmmakers, e.g., 'Zootropolis' animators studied 'Robin Hood' drawings for anthropomorphic quality. Unused ideas, like early 1940s sketches for 'The Little Mermaid' by Kay Nielson, later inspired the 1989 film. The traveling exhibition aims to share Disney's artistic heritage with the public.