Massimo Baldini's 'A Tour not so Grand' Photographs Italy's Unseen Corners
In Bologna, the exhibition titled 'A Tour not so Grand' presents Massimo Baldini's exploration of Italy's lesser-known locations. Curated alongside an essay by Attilio Brilli, the showcase features photographs taken between 2017 and 2018, highlighting sites like the Acquario Civico in Milan and the Piccolo Museo della Civiltà Contadina in Gambulaga. Baldini captures unique elements, such as a toy soldier at Certosa Cemetery and a fragmented statue of Clement XII in Ancona. His images often include additional visuals, creating a mise en abyme effect. Brilli describes the project as a modern reinterpretation of the Grand Tour, emphasizing the significance of the overlooked and ironic. The exhibition incorporates works from various museums, framing Baldini's perspective as both ethical and aesthetic.
Key facts
- Exhibition titled 'A Tour not so Grand' features photographs by Massimo Baldini.
- Curated with an essay by Attilio Brilli, a professor of Anglo-American literature at University of Siena.
- Photographs taken in 2017-2018 across Italy, including Milan, Bologna, Ancona, Bitonto, Viterbo, Castellaneta, Castelfidardo, Gravina di Puglia, Giuggianello, and Gambulaga.
- Images focus on provincial museums, sacristies, church corners, and other overlooked sites.
- Notable subjects include a toy soldier at Certosa Cemetery in Bologna, a fragmentary statue of Clement XII in Ancona, and a San Sebastiano shot from below.
- Many photos contain other photos within them, creating a narrative layering effect.
- Brilli's essay contrasts the contemporary oversaturation of images with the historical Grand Tour's imaginative engagement.
- The exhibition was published on Artribune in November 2018.
- Baldini's work is described as a way to rediscover the world through detail, the bizarre, and the ephemeral.
- The project aims to restore dignity to images and counteract the anesthesia of the gaze caused by image overload.
Entities
Artists
- Massimo Baldini
- Attilio Brilli
- Giovanni Battista Piranesi
- Susan Sontag
- Edith Wharton
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Rodolfo Valentino
- Ernesto Bonino
- Pope Clement XII
- Saint Anthony Abbot
- Saint Sebastian
- Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
- Saint Agatha
Institutions
- Artribune
- University of Siena
- il Mulino
- Acquario Civico (Milan)
- Piccolo Museo della Civiltà Contadina (Gambulaga)
- Certosa Cemetery (Bologna)
- Museo della Città (Ancona)
- Museo Archeologico (Bologna)
- Museo del Costume Farnesiano (Viterbo)
- Cathedral of Bitonto
- Santuario di San Giovanni Rotondo
- Museo della Civiltà Contadina (Gambulaga)
- Museo della Cola-Cola (Gravina di Puglia)
- Castello della Badia di Vulci
Locations
- Italy
- Bologna
- Milan
- Ferrara
- Gambulaga
- Ancona
- Bitonto
- Viterbo
- Castellaneta
- Castelfidardo
- Gravina di Puglia
- Giuggianello
- San Giovanni Rotondo
- Vulci
- Florence
- Piazza del Plebiscito (Ancona)
- Cathedral of Gallipoli
- Magliano a Pereta
- Pereta