ARTISTS
Emilio Isgr貌: Rosso Shakespeare
If, as a thought experiment, one were to imagine that Isgr貌鈥檚 entire visual oeuvre had never existed, his literary and poetic production alone would suffice to justify this and many other exhibitions and to leave an indelible mark on the cultural landscape.
Isgr貌鈥檚 first poems, published by Schwarz in 1956, drew the attention of Pier Paolo Pasolini, who wrote about them in his article La Poesia e il Sud (芦Il Punto禄, May 25, 1957).
A close friendship with Eugenio Montale followed, though the poet famously ceased speaking to Isgr貌 in 1966, after his provocative statement 鈥淭he word is dead.鈥�
A collection of his poems was published by Vittorini and Calvino in Einaudi鈥檚 Menab貌, while his novels were printed by Feltrinelli, Mondadori, and Sellerio. Among them, L鈥檃vventurosa vita di Emilio Isgr貌鈥攔ecently reissued by Interlinea鈥攚as shortlisted for the Premio Strega.
He worked as a journalist for Il Gazzettino, in Venice, editing, among others, articles by Giovanni Comisso. The story goes that, while revising one of Comisso鈥檚 texts鈥攔emoving what he considered superfluous鈥�, Isgr貌 conceived the idea of exploring the expressive and poetic power of Cancellatura (Erasure). He later served as an editor at 芦Oggi禄 under Enzo Biagi and continues to contribute to 芦Corriere della Sera禄 and 芦La Lettura禄.
Isgr貌 was invited by Ludovico Corrao to Gibellina, where he was commissioned to create a work inspired by Aeschylus鈥檚 Orestea for the reconstruction of the city destroyed by the 1968 earthquake. His theatrical trilogy L鈥橭restea di Gibellina was staged among the ruins of the town on three occasions between 1983 and 1985.
This multifaceted body of work highlights the impossibility of separating Isgr貌鈥檚 literary production from his visual art.
It is therefore the 鈥渨ord鈥濃�攆ar from dead鈥攖hat serves as the unifying thread between these two parallel paths. It is the word that 鈥� when erased 鈥� transcend its literal meaning to become a metaphor for the essential. And it is still the word, or rather, a multitude of words that composes his writings.
Rosso Shakespeare seeks to explore the boundary where word and image converge.
The exhibition brings together theatrical texts, poetry collections, and novels alongside visual works with literary or writing-related subjects. It opens with pieces from the 1970s, including VItale (1972), followed by Odyss茅us (2018), a reinterpretation of the Odyssey, and Ala italiana, Corriere(2013), based on the front page of 芦Corriere della Sera禄.
The final two rooms are devoted to William Shakespeare. Here, Isgr貌鈥檚 Red Erasure鈥攁 signature motif of his most recent production鈥攂ecomes a monumental presence in Romeo e Giulietta (2022) and Othello (2019), made up of 38 and 36 volumes respectively.
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If, as a thought experiment, one were to imagine that Isgr貌鈥檚 entire visual oeuvre had never existed, his literary and poetic production alone would suffice to justify this and many other exhibitions and to leave an indelible mark on the cultural landscape.
Isgr貌鈥檚 first poems, published by Schwarz in 1956, drew the attention of Pier Paolo Pasolini, who wrote about them in his article La Poesia e il Sud (芦Il Punto禄, May 25, 1957).
A close friendship with Eugenio Montale followed, though the poet famously ceased speaking to Isgr貌 in 1966, after his provocative statement 鈥淭he word is dead.鈥�
A collection of his poems was published by Vittorini and Calvino in Einaudi鈥檚 Menab貌, while his novels were printed by Feltrinelli, Mondadori, and Sellerio. Among them, L鈥檃vventurosa vita di Emilio Isgr貌鈥攔ecently reissued by Interlinea鈥攚as shortlisted for the Premio Strega.
He worked as a journalist for Il Gazzettino, in Venice, editing, among others, articles by Giovanni Comisso. The story goes that, while revising one of Comisso鈥檚 texts鈥攔emoving what he considered superfluous鈥�, Isgr貌 conceived the idea of exploring the expressive and poetic power of Cancellatura (Erasure). He later served as an editor at 芦Oggi禄 under Enzo Biagi and continues to contribute to 芦Corriere della Sera禄 and 芦La Lettura禄.
Isgr貌 was invited by Ludovico Corrao to Gibellina, where he was commissioned to create a work inspired by Aeschylus鈥檚 Orestea for the reconstruction of the city destroyed by the 1968 earthquake. His theatrical trilogy L鈥橭restea di Gibellina was staged among the ruins of the town on three occasions between 1983 and 1985.
This multifaceted body of work highlights the impossibility of separating Isgr貌鈥檚 literary production from his visual art.
It is therefore the 鈥渨ord鈥濃�攆ar from dead鈥攖hat serves as the unifying thread between these two parallel paths. It is the word that 鈥� when erased 鈥� transcend its literal meaning to become a metaphor for the essential. And it is still the word, or rather, a multitude of words that composes his writings.
Rosso Shakespeare seeks to explore the boundary where word and image converge.
The exhibition brings together theatrical texts, poetry collections, and novels alongside visual works with literary or writing-related subjects. It opens with pieces from the 1970s, including VItale (1972), followed by Odyss茅us (2018), a reinterpretation of the Odyssey, and Ala italiana, Corriere(2013), based on the front page of 芦Corriere della Sera禄.
The final two rooms are devoted to William Shakespeare. Here, Isgr貌鈥檚 Red Erasure鈥攁 signature motif of his most recent production鈥攂ecomes a monumental presence in Romeo e Giulietta (2022) and Othello (2019), made up of 38 and 36 volumes respectively.
Artists on show
