Isadora Duncan's Legacy Explored in MART Exhibition

The MART in Rovereto presents a comprehensive exhibition on Isadora Duncan (San Francisco, 1877 – Nice, 1927), highlighting her role as a pioneer of modern dance and a total work of art. The show features memorabilia including the only surviving film of her dancing, her signature in the Vieusseux library register from 1902, and correspondence with Gabriele D'Annunzio. The core of the exhibition is structured around artworks—sculptures and paintings—that create a choral effect. The first section explores her classical ideal, with works by artists inspired by her such as Libero Andreotti, Franz von Stuck, and Auguste Rodin, plus variations on dance by Zandomeneghi. A section on her professional and personal ties with Eleonora Duse and Gordon Craig leads to the most impressive part: her influence on Italian art between late Symbolism and Liberty, featuring Laurenti, Bistolfi, Previati, Baccarini, and Boccioni. Later sections examine the dissonant echoes of her influence, including the return to classicism between the wars (Mazzoleni, Cambellotti, Campigli, Ciampi, Raphaël) and the Futurists' dispute with her after initial curiosity. The exhibition also covers her ties to Italy, her impact on the 'free dancers' movement, and her eccentric brother Raymond, aiming to immerse visitors in her utopian concept of movement.