Piranesi, Rome, and the Arts of Design to make U.S. Debut at San Diego Museum of Art

Museum to host architect-designed exhibition on Piranesi’s dark genius

San Diego, Calif. —The San Diego Museum of Art will be the first United States  destination to host Piranesi, Rome, and the Arts of Design. This expansive and cutting edge exhibition brings together the creative genius of the Giorgio Cini Foundation of Venice, Italy; Factum Arte of Madrid, Spain; and architect Michele De Lucchi of Milan, Italy. The collaboration features the works of the Venetian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi and uniquely presents the many facets of Piranesi’s genius. The exhibition premieres Saturday, March 30, 2013,and will run through early July 2013

Piranesi (1720-1778) was a printmaker, architect, antiquarian, art dealer, theorist, and designer--one of the foremost artistic personalities of the eighteenth century, whose views of Rome remain the city’s defining image. Fresh, thought-provoking and innovative, Piranesi, Rome, and the Arts of Design  shows the range of the artist’s genius in a twenty-first century approach to his creative endeavors.  Through 300 original prints on loan from the Giorgio Cini Foundation in Venice, and a number of contemporary creations inspired by his work, the exhibition will highlight the polymath interests, style, and remarkable modernity of the Venetian artist. It will include a 3-D video projection of Piranesi’s Carceri d’Invenzione and seven original objects, designed but never executed by Piranesi, now brought to life by Factum Art.

Designed by world-renowned architect Michele De Lucchi, the exhibition embodies the progressive spirit of Piranesi’s own eclectic visions and his modernity, emphasizing the popular appeal of his work and its continuing relevance to designers and architects. The exhibition’s tour has been organized by the Exhibits Design Group of Minneapolis.  

“We strive to make international art accessible here in the United States and to make San Diego a destination for world-renowned art,” says Roxana Velásquez, executive director of the San Diego Museum of Art. “The opening of this exhibition supports that goal. This architect-designed and highly interactive installation truly expresses the deep connection among the eighteenth century artistic genius of Piranesi , the world of ancient Rome, and our own modernity..”

Piranesi, Rome, and the Arts of Design

Exhibition conceived by Michele De Lucchi, produced by Fondazione Giorgio Cini and Factum Arte in collaboration with Exhibits Development Group
Original exhibition title: the arts of Piranesi: architect, etcher, antiquarian, vedutista, designer

Lectures and films will accompany the exhibition:

• Symposium,Saturday, March 30: John Pinto, Christopher Johns and Jeffrey Collins, three fellows of the American Academy of Rome.
• Film, Friday, April 5: “Yo-Yo Ma Inspired by Bach: The Sound of The Carceri.”
• Lecture, Friday, April 19: Dr. John Marciari will present a lecture on “Purchasing Piranesi: Buying Art on the Grand Tour.”

For more details on related events, visit TheSanDiegoMuseumofArt.org/calendar.

About The San Diego Museum of Art

The San Diego Museum of Art provides a rich and diverse cultural experience for 350,000 visitors annually. Located in the heart of beautiful Balboa Park, the Museum’s nationally renowned collections include Spanish and Italian old masters, South Asian paintings, and 19th and 20th century American paintings and sculptures. The Museum regularly features major exhibitions of art from around the world, as well as an extensive year-round schedule supporting cultural and educational programs for children and adults.. General Information, (619) 232-7931, Group Sales: (619) 696-1935, Website: TheSanDiegoMuseumofArt.org, Twitter: @SDMA, Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheSanDiegoMuseumofArt

About Exhibits Development Group (EDG)

EDG’s mission is to initiate and promote cultural and intellectual exchange by bringing high-quality traveling exhibitions of art, science and history to broad and diverse audiences.  EDG also serves as a partner to other exhibition organizers, museums, foundations and collection owners in the U.S. and abroad in the care and stewardship of their exhibitions and collections. www.exhibitsdevelopment.com

About The Giorgio Cini Foundation

The Giorgio Cini Foundation is a non-profit cultural institution based in Venice, Italy. The Foundation’s mission is to promote and encourage the creation and development of educational, social, cultural and artistic institutions in its surrounding territory.»

About Factum Arte:

Based in Madrid, Spain, Factum Arte consists of a team of artists, technicians and conservators dedicated to digital mediation - both in the production of works for contemporary artists and in the production of facsimiles as part of a coherent approach to preservation and dissemination. Factum Arte’s non-contact methodologies are having a growing impact on the world of conservation and are defining the role facsimiles play in the protection of our cultural heritage.

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