Italian historic cafes and restaurants host art exhibitions during pandemic

Three historic Italian venues—Clandestino in Faenza, Necci dal 1924 in Rome, and Caffè Querio 1858 in Turin—have launched art projects adapted to pandemic restrictions. At Clandestino, artist Alessandro Roma created two large ceramic sculptures originally intended for the 61st edition of Premio Faenza (canceled due to COVID-19), now displayed as part of 'Sala di Attesa – Resistenze d’asporto.' A limited-edition artist fanzine accompanies takeaway meals from the venue's vegetarian restaurant Arbusto. At Necci dal 1924, curators Agathe Jaubourg and Massimo Innocenti replaced plexiglass barriers with freestanding photographic panels from the Archivio Dufoto, featuring life-size images of 20th-century cultural icons such as Claudia Cardinale, Marlene Dietrich, Marcello Mastroianni, and Giorgio Gaber, in an exhibition titled 'Andava Tutto Bene.' At Caffè Querio 1858, artist Roberto Guariniello designed a custom box for the café's new line of gianduiotti chocolates, merging art with takeaway confectionery. The initiatives transform takeout and anti-COVID barriers into artistic mediums, reviving the historic role of cafés and restaurants as hubs for cultural exchange.