MUseoSElla Brings Contemporary Art to the Parmese Apennines

In the tiny hamlet of Sella di Lodrignano, a fraction of Neviano degli Arduini in the Parmese Apennines, a contemporary art museum has emerged thanks to two art history graduates and a group of volunteers. The MUseoSElla, inaugurated in 2021, houses a permanent collection of over 400 works including paintings, graphics, sculptures, photographs, design objects, comics, architectural sketches, and curiosities like Mario Nanni's apron bearing traces of his artistic motifs. The collection features artists such as Vasco Bendini, Concetto Pozzati, Emilio Scanavino, Tono Zancanaro, William Xerra, Gastone Biggi, Graziano Pompili, Augusto Vignali, Alberto Reggianini, Maurizio Bottarelli, and Simone Ponzi. The museum's focus is on Bolognese art of the second half of the 20th century, particularly Informale. The idea originated around 2004 when Alessandro Garbasi and Francesca Bersani proposed using the restored former school for cultural initiatives. Inspired by a visit to the Piero Gauli Museum in Ramponio Verna, they began collecting donations from artists, collectors, and gallerists. The museum also runs the 'Arte nelle case' project, donating contemporary artworks to local families and newborns, creating a diffuse private museum. Additionally, it hosts cultural events, organized visits, and conferences with artists like Marco Martalar, known for his wooden sculptures from trees felled by Storm Vaia.