Il Paradiso Inclinato: A Flawed Survey of Roman Art at Ex Dogana

Curated by Luca Tomio, the group exhibition 'Il Paradiso Inclinato' at Ex Dogana in Rome (until May 15, 2016) brings together works from 1969 to the present by 20 artists including Jannis Kounellis, Alighiero Boetti, Gino De Dominicis, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Mario Schifano, and Edoardo Tresoldi. The show aims to 'design the past' and create an 'eternity of the instant,' according to critic Achille Bonito Oliva. However, the exhibition lacks any explanatory texts, critical essays, or wall labels, leaving visitors without guidance. The post-industrial setting of Ex Dogana, a former customs house awaiting redevelopment in central Rome, serves as a metaphor for a borderland turned free-access space. The anthology's only coherent criterion is its focus on Roman art, mixing conceptual works with street art by Borondo and spatial installations by Alberto Di Fabio. Reviewer Mattia Andres Lombardo criticizes the show as 'unripe and pretentious,' arguing that without adequate explanations, the attempt to engage a non-specialist audience backfires. The exhibition includes artists such as Pier Paolo Calzolari, Luigi Ontani, Giulio Paolini, Cesare Tacchi, Eracle Dartizio, Emilio Prini, Andreco, Sbagliato, Tano Festa, and Leonardo Petrucci.