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Matteo Fato's 'Scena notturna sul mare' at Pesaro's Pescheria

exhibition · 2026-05-04

Matteo Fato, who was born in Pescara in 1979, is showcasing his solo exhibition titled 'Scena notturna sul mare' at the Centro Arti Visive Pescheria in Pesaro, under the curation of Marcello Smarrelli. Among the highlights is a 17th-century artwork by an unidentified artist from Pesaro, housed in the Musei Civici di Pesaro, which illustrates a moonlit seascape. Fato has created a series of paintings inspired by this piece, featuring three oil works on linen that reinterpret the landscape with nuanced variations, all set against a deep Prussian blue wall. Additionally, in the Church of the Suffragio, he presents three nocturnes at three times their original size. The exhibition also includes a speculative portrait of the anonymous painter, showcasing Fato's fascination with genre painting and the en plein air tradition. Gianni Garrera remarks that Fato's art opens up to "infinite possibility."

Key facts

  • Matteo Fato's solo exhibition 'Scena notturna sul mare' at Centro Arti Visive Pescheria, Pesaro.
  • Curated by Marcello Smarrelli, following shows on Nicola Samorì (2017) and Thomas Braida (2018-19).
  • Centers on a 17th-century anonymous Pesaro painting from Musei Civici di Pesaro, a moonlit seascape with a central gash.
  • Fato reproduces the scene in three oils on linen at same scale in the Loggiato, with subtle variations.
  • Loggiato wall painted deep Prussian blue.
  • In the Church of the Suffragio, three nocturnes at triple scale, arranged to embrace viewer in dodecagonal space.
  • A raised wooden balustrade (made from crates) serves as viewing platform.
  • Includes abstract canvases showing color palette as 'brush cleaning' and crates as supports.
  • Hypothetical portrait of the anonymous 17th-century painter from behind.
  • Gianni Garrera, paraphrasing Leopardi, calls Fato's painting 'infinite possibility.'

Entities

Artists

  • Matteo Fato
  • Nicola Samorì
  • Thomas Braida
  • Caspar David Friedrich
  • Gianni Garrera
  • Giacomo Leopardi
  • Saverio Verini

Institutions

  • Centro Arti Visive Pescheria
  • Musei Civici di Pesaro
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Pescara
  • Pesaro
  • Italy

Sources