Lecture

I disegni di Carlo Scarpa per Castelvecchio

Verona, Museo di Castelvecchio, 29 May – 4 June 2006

Presentation of II disegni di Carlo Scarpa per Castelvecchio, a catalogue edited by Alba Di Lieto, and the Carlo Scarpa per Castelvecchio: una selezione dei disegni exhibition.

Press release

The 2ndof June 2006 is the first centenary of the birth of the architect Carlo Scarpa (Venice 1906 – Sendai 1978). As part of the events promoted by the National Committee that was expressly established by the Ministry for National Heritage and Culture, the Councillorship for Culture of the Municipality of Verona and Musei d’Arte e Monumenti celebrate Carlo Scarpa’s work with the publication of the master’s drawings for the restoration and interior redesign of Castelvecchio (1958-1964 and 1968-1975), which are part of the Museum’s collection.

The book, which is the first complete systematic investigation into one of the collections of drawings from the architect’s archives, was created with the support of the Regione del Veneto, as part of the activity of the Carlo Scarpa Joint Committee, established in 2002 with the aim of developing awareness, preserving and promoting the Venetian architect’s work and the archives of his drawings and designs acquired by the Italian State in 2001.

The catalogue I disegni di Carlo Scarpa per Castelvecchio, edited by Alba Di Lieto, offers an original and in-depth reading of Scarpa’s work, examining the theme from different perspectives. The contributions of Marisa Dalai Emiliani and Paola Marini, alongside an important essay by Licisco Magagnato from 1982, retrace the phases of this famous architectural restoration and museological design with a historical approach. All of the 880 design drawings (front and back of 657 sheets) are reproduced, individually detailed and organised into 10 topographical sections introduced by as many texts by Alba Di Lieto. This compilation led to the complete revision of the available documentation and the timely reporting of interventions that occurred after the work completed by Carlo Scarpa, marking new developments in the study of one of the architect’s masterpieces.

Finally, the chronicle proposed by the reading of the material and its original aspects allows us to increase our knowledge of this memorable project, which until now has only been partially tackled and moreover, is not the subject of any currently available publications.

Thanks then to the interest that Carlo Scarpa’s work at Castelvecchio has always aroused both in Italy and abroad, and which is not limited to academic and professional circles, the book allows us to fill a gap in this specific publishing panorama and represents an ideal tribute to the great architect on the occasion of the centenary of his birth.

The catalogue, published by Marsilio, will be 608 pages long with 1000 colour illustrations and will be the first book in the series dedicated to the architects graphic corpus.

Alba Di Lieto, who graduated in architecture from Venice, is the curator of the Carlo Scarpa archives at the Directorate of Civic Art Museums and Monuments of Verona, where she is in charge of activity related to the preservation, restoration and enhancement of the graphic collections of Scarpa’s architecture and his work at the Museo di Castelvecchio.

In 1991, along with Richard Murphy and Arrigo Rudi, she curated the Carlo Scarpa & Castelvecchio exhibition; in 1999 she collaborated on the first North American exhibition dedicated to Carlo Scarpa, organised by the Centre Canadien d'Architecture: Carlo Scarpa, architecte. Composer avec l'historie, and in 2000 she was part of the fundamental exhibition held in Verona and Vicenza: Carlo Scarpa. Mostre e musei 1944/1976.Case e paesaggi 1972/1978.

She recently coordinated the creation of the website www.archiviocarloscarpa.it/

Alongside her scholarly work she is in charge of the exhibition design and maintenance of Verona’s civic museums, where she designs exhibitions and organises cultural initiatives: in 2002 with Paola Marini, the Luigi Caccia Dominioni. Case e cose da abitare. Stile di Caccia exhibition, and in 2004 the installation at Castelvecchio by Peter Eisenman Il giardino dei passi perduti.

Carlo Scarpa per Castelvecchio: una selezione dei disegni

Verona, Museo di Castelvecchio, 30th May – 3rdSeptember 2006

The Museum pays tribute to Carlo Scarpa by organising an exhibition entitled Carlo Scarpa per Castelvecchio: una selezione dei disegni to coincide with the publication of the book on the collection of drawings for Castelvecchio. The exhibition will take place from the 30th of May to the 3rd of September 2006, as part of the activity planned for the centenary celebrations of Scarpa’s birth and promoted by the National Committee.

Exhibited previously in the Carlo Scarpa. Mostre e Musei. Case e Paesaggi exhibition held in 2000 at Castelvecchio and the CISA, the great architect’s original drawings will provide visitors with an immediate comparison between the plans and work executed.

The small exhibition is conceived as a combination of Scarpa’s design drawings and some significant places where his restoration and design work were particularly important. In the sculpture gallery will be a selection of his most interesting drawings for the composition of the refined and intriguing chapel space (room 1); rooms 3 and 4, which are a perfect tribute from the Venetian master to Mondrian’s style, will hold his most striking exhibition designs with the red panel layout and those for the arrangement of the Crocifissione sculpture group. The exhibition continues on the floor above with the most representative designs for the position of the equestrian statue of Cangrande I della Scala, an icon of Scarpa’s design and of the museum itself, but above all a synthesis of the theory of presentation of artwork, of which Carlo Scarpa was an innovative interpreter.

As part of the exhibition the public will be able to watch a video presentation of the digital archives and a selection of videos showing documentary excerpts and memorable interviews with the great architect.

The calendar of events to celebrate Scarpa at Castelvecchio and Verona
Programme

29th May 2006, 5:00 pm
Museo di Castelvecchio – Sala Boggian

Presentation of the catalogue I disegni di Carlo Scarpa per Castelvecchio
Edited by Alba Di Lieto

29th May 2006 6:30 pm
Opening of the exhibition Carlo Scarpa per Castelvecchio: una selezione dei disegni
Museo di Castelvecchio, 30thMay – 3rd September 2006

2nd – 3rd – 4th June 2006
Free entrance to the Museo di Castelvecchio
Book guided visits to see the restoration and design work by Carlo Scarpa for Castelvecchio
For children and families by Caterina Gemma Brenzoni

2nd June 10:00 am, 3rd June, 10:00 am, 4th June, 5:00 pm
Guided group visits organised by AGAV – Association of Young Architects Verona

Friday 2nd June 11:30 am 4:00 pm 5:00 pm

Saturday 3rd June 11:30 am 4:00 pm 5:00 pm

Sunday 4th June 10:00 am 11:30 am 4:00 pm

Every visit will finish with a guided navigation of the new website www.archiviocarloscarpa.it  organised by Ketty Bertolaso and Eva di Lorenzo in the Art Library of the Museo di Castelvecchio