An exciting idea has just been developed by the town of Greve in Chianti sponsored by the Region and Province of Tuscany and the City Council of Florence, with the collaboration of Impruneta, Barberino Val d'Elsa and Montevarchi. This is the Tuscia Electa exhibition - 14 international artists in Tuscany - which instead of being set up in one single gallery or exhibition room follows a spectacular itinerary that takes in beautiful villas, tiny hamlets, ancient churches and town squares.
"Cosmos". Fountain in stainless steel and bronze
by Gidon Graetz 1992-1996 exhibited at Greve
Here various works of art, created by well-known artists from all over the world, who either live or have close connections with Tuscany, have been set up in unusual and fascinating sites so that the visitor not only gets the chance to admire examples of modern art in a timeless setting, but also to explore parts of the countryside that he probably would never otherwise have seen.
Sculptures by Leo Lionni on show in the square at Greve
The itinerary starts out right in the suggestive square of Greve with Leo Lionni's sculptures creating an interesting contrast with the ancient arched loggias, while Pietro Consagra has installed stylistic elements that rear up in front of the facade of the church. The spiral-shaped fountain by Gidon Graetz has instead been placed between the square and the road to Panzano.
"Sienese clay country" 1994 by artist Joe Tilson,
exhibited at Villa Calcinaia
From here the itinerary takes us to Villa Calcinaia where a barn hosts the Pop Art of Joe Tilson with his interpretation of the Sienese clay country. Curiously enough, the barn was used after the 1966 flood in Florence, to store many of the books from the State Archives. The Lemonary instead contains assemblages dedicated to Tibet by Heinrich Nicolaus.
Betty Woodman exhibits her ceramics in the rooms of a little country house, situated in the delightful village of Ruffoli, which also hosts the impressive snakes and ladders sculpture by Luigi Mainolfi which soars up and then downwards from a terrace overlooking the valley and re-emerges in the fish-pond at the historic Castle of Verrazzano. Another house in Ruffoli contains a series of black and white photographs by Paul Blanchard.
"Tarquinia: Good Wishes", 1996, by the artist Betty Woodman,
73 painted ceramics exhibited at Borgo di Ruffoli.
The Castle of Verrazzano is also the magnificent setting for the two granite monoliths by Giò Pomodoro which indicate the route towards Antonio Trotta's homage to Ezra Pound. The Pieve of San Cresci is the next stop in the trip around the Chianti and the precious container for the theatre of shadows installation by Jannis Kounellis.
The intinerary concludes at Panzano with the huge photographic panels by Clegg & Guttmann in the Oratory of S. Eufrosino, placed alongside Joseph Kosuth's 12 panels with a quotation from Wittgenstein, while the Pieve of San Leolino hosts views through "windows" by Jan Dibbets.
The exhibition will remain open until November 17th. For further information contact Greve Town Council tel. 055/8545247 or Eventi: tel. 055/240397.
