Fondazione Memmo's 'La Biblioteca del Mondo' Explores Books as Art
The ninth edition of Conversation Piece at Fondazione Memmo in Rome presents 'La Biblioteca del Mondo,' curated by Marcello Smarrelli. The exhibition features nine international artists who use books not merely as supports but as construction material for artworks. The title references Umberto Eco and Davide Ferrario's 2022 documentary on Eco's library, described as a 'depository of humanity's memory.' Participating artists include Yael Bartana, Nicolò Degiorgis, Bruna Esposito, Claire Fontaine (Fulvia Carnevale and James Thornhill), Paolo Icaro, Kapwani Kiwanga, Marcello Maloberti, Francis Offman, and Ekaterina Panikanova. The historic Roman palace hosts video installations, hidden book covers, framed pages, drawings, photographs, and sculptures, exploring the book's various artistic interpretations. Smarrelli emphasizes the book's value as an irreplaceable object in an age of electronic media.
Key facts
- Exhibition is the ninth edition of Conversation Piece at Fondazione Memmo.
- Curated by Marcello Smarrelli.
- Title 'La Biblioteca del Mondo' references Umberto Eco and a 2022 documentary by Davide Ferrario.
- Features 9 international artists: Yael Bartana, Nicolò Degiorgis, Bruna Esposito, Claire Fontaine, Paolo Icaro, Kapwani Kiwanga, Marcello Maloberti, Francis Offman, Ekaterina Panikanova.
- Artworks include video installations, hidden book covers, framed pages, drawings, photographs, and sculptures.
- Exhibition runs at Fondazione Memmo in Rome.
- Smarrelli states the show reaffirms the book's value as an object and its irreplaceability compared to electronic devices.
- Artists use the book as 'construction material' for artworks.
Entities
Artists
- Yael Bartana
- Nicolò Degiorgis
- Bruna Esposito
- Fulvia Carnevale
- James Thornhill
- Paolo Icaro
- Kapwani Kiwanga
- Marcello Maloberti
- Francis Offman
- Ekaterina Panikanova
- Umberto Eco
- Davide Ferrario
Institutions
- Fondazione Memmo
- Artribune
Locations
- Rome
- Italy