The exhibition moves, enriched by many works, to Sala Manzù in Bergamo
Not just an exhibition, but another pilot project of the Friends of the Luzzana Museum, in synergy with the municipality. The rediscovery of Luigi Monti known as Monte – which takes place in The Museum of Contemporary Art of Luzzana – Gaini Meli Donation and the ancient deconsecrated church of San Bernardino until 25th August – evokes historical and artistic examples of times gone by and weaves an unusual collaboration between organisations and associations from a wide area, from the small village in the Val Cavallina to the town and the artist’s home town at the entrance to the plain. The initiative is curated by art historian Rolando Bellini, artist connoisseur Luigi Cortesi, museum director Roberta Mazza, and sculptor Gianpaolo Corna. It is sponsored by the Mountain Community of the Bergamasque Lakes and Val Cavallina. It has obtained the patronage and valuable collaboration of organisations and associations that have always had Bergamo’s culture at heart, such as the Province of Bergamo, the Municipality of Stezzano, the Adriano Bernareggi Foundation, the Carrara Academy Foundation, the La Scuola di Bergamo Association, and the Polli Stoppani Foundation. It is made possible thanks to the artist’s family and the support of Grafica Monti snc, LVF, and the Credito Bergamasco Foundation, which has always been committed to similar cultural projects for the in-depth rediscovery of artists and the protection and enhancement of works in the area. As well known in artistic circles as he has remained on the margins of art popularisation is Monte (Stezzano, Bergamo, 1928-2019), with his shy nature, a very Bergamasque reserve, and his loyalty to increasingly rare artistic values.
The first retrospective exhibition dedicated to the artist, with an important catalogue published by Monti Edizioni, historicises his figure and his work, commissioning the first scientific study on the same and revisiting current knowledge on his biography and research, deepening his voice in the context of contemporary Bergamo art and re-establishing historical ties with artists from Luzzano and fellow students at the “Giacomo Carrara” Academy of Fine Arts, enhancing selected and unpublished testimonies of his poetics kept in public collections such as those of the Province of Bergamo and the Municipality of Stezzano. “Monte”, the curators anticipate, “is a versatile artist – painter, sculptor, draughtsman, engraver, ceramist, mosaicist, fresco painter…-, who recently passed away, and who knew how to write a page of artistic history exalting the peculiarities of the Bergamo area. The catalogue does not limit itself to collecting the ranks of monographs, miscellanies, and other testimonies on Monte’s art, nor does it restrict itself to tracing him back to the Carrara Academy and in particular to the Scuola “funiana” where he trained between 1941 and 1947″.
During the period of the exhibition, it is possible to visit the rich collection of Monte’s works preserved in the art collections at the Stezzano Town Hall, during opening hours by booking at ufficio.cultura@comune.stezzano.bg.it and during the guided tours, also to monuments and the Madonna dei Campi Sanctuary, indicated on the website www.museoluzzana.it. On 29th August the exhibition moved from Luzzana to Bergamo and can be visited until 8 September 2024 in the Sala Manzù of the Province of Bergamo, at number 4 Passaggio Sora, during the hours indicated on the Luzzana Museum website. This venue will be enriched by a substantial nucleus of works and by the possibility of visiting the artistic testimonies of Monte, Alberto Meli, and other artists of their generation in the collections and the Sculpture Garden of the Palazzo della Provincia at number 8 Via Tasso.
OPENING HOURS:
– Thursday and Friday: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
– Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. | 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
UNMISSABLE APPOINTMENTS!
On Saturday 7th September, the finissage of the exhibition will be held at the Palazzo della Provincia, Via Tasso 8, Bergamo, at 5 p.m.. During the day, it will be possible to participate in two guided tours conducted by Rolando Bellini: the first at 11 a.m. at the Stezzano Town Hall, and the second at 3 p.m. in the Sale Manzù, where the exhibition is set up.