Tano Festa and Nicolò Tomaini in Dialogue on Anxieties at Rocca di Umbertide

The medieval Rocca di Umbertide in Umbria hosts a dialogue between two seemingly unrelated artists: Tano Festa (Rome, 1938–1988) and Nicolò Tomaini (Lecco, 1989). The exhibition, curated by Filippo Mollea Ceirano, Giorgio Bonomi, and Raffaele Soligo, originated from late-night conversations between Mollea Ceirano and Tomaini. Festa used materials like shutters, mirrors, and obelisks, representing the visual everyday life of Rome, distinct from American Pop Art's consumer objects. Tomaini works with contemporary items such as tablets, smartphones, and cardboard, or images of uploads. The curators identify a common thread of anxiety about dehumanization and becoming machines for consumption, forgetting the importance of human emotions and sensations. The exhibition runs at Rocca di Umbertide in 2022.