El Dorado: Contemporary Art and the Timeless Fascination of Gold Ground at Museo Pietro Canonica

The exhibition 'El Dorado' at Museo Pietro Canonica in Rome explores the enduring allure of gold ground (fondo oro) in contemporary art, curated by Alessandra Mammì. The show, initiated by the Centro Studi Roccantica (founded by Ileana Florescu in 2018), features ten artists who engage with the medieval technique of gold ground as a manifestation of the spiritual. Works include Paolo Canevari's 'Monumenti della memoria' (2010), Elisa Montessori's site-specific interventions, Luigi Ontani's 'Lapsus Lupus' (2015-16), Alfredo Pirri's homage to Antonio Gramsci ('Compagni e angeli', 2023), Rä di Martino's silver nitrate print triptych, Sabina Mirri's 'Il visibile dell’invisibile' (2023), Renata Boero's 'Fiori di Karta' (2014), Valerio d’Angelo's 'Narciso n.1', Gianni Dessì's 'Detto e sentito' (2022), and a video excerpt from Andrei Tarkovsky's 'Andrei Rublev' (1966). The exhibition runs at the Fortezzuola in Villa Borghese, the former home and studio of sculptor Pietro Canonica (1927-1959). The installation integrates contemporary works with the permanent collection, emphasizing physical engagement and pilgrimage-like exploration. The show also includes a Russian icon from the 18th century (Chetyi-Minei). The project continues the center's mission to pair contemporary art with Rome's museum heritage, following their 2021 show 'La Vita Nova' at Museo Barracco.