Tag Archive: Palazzo della Penna


THE SELF EXPOSED

Il Corpo Solitario (the solitary body) is a small exhibition of photographic works at  the Palazzo della Penna, Perugia which runs until 27th October 2013.

On display are a series of self portraits.  Many  are nudes though none are meant to titillate.

They show  nakedness as a way of showing the self in its most exposed state.

These are two images (photos of photos), The first is by Giada Rochira called Pensanda (Thinking) which I like for the strong, almost defiant pose of the subject

The second by Rosy Martin makes a fairly bleak statement about ageing with a work entitled  ‘The vagina begins to shrivel …..’  which features an extended quote by David Reuben from ‘Everything you always wanted to know about sex but were afraid to ask’ telling women things they’d rather not know about.

One of the highlights of a recent trip to Perugia was an exhibition in the Palazzo della Penna entitled L’arte è un romanzo (Art is a novel)  which opened on 24 April 2013 and runs until 1st September.

Curated by  Luca Beatrice, this examines how visual art influences books and how books influence contemporary art.

The exhibition is divided into 20 ‘chapters’  and includes photographs, paintings, illustrations, video installations, sculptures and quotations including section on cheap romance, literary classics, science fiction and books for kids.

With such a wide variety of works there is no single theme that stands out but it’s a lively and stimulating show.

While presenting a fresh perspective on our image dominated culture, it is a reminder that words still matter.

My photo shows the centrepiece of the exhibition : Asnería conceived by Pilar Albarracìn – a stuffed donkey surrounded by a mountain of books.