Page 31 - Luigi Pericle_Beyondthevisible PRESS REVIEW Formal.pdf

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Venice-Pericleasahermitinlagoon Therediscoveryofamysteriousartist
Ontheocasionofthe58thArtBiennale,FondazioneQueriniStampaliawilbepresentingtheexhibition“LuigiPericle(1916-2001)_Beyondthevisible”(catalogueby SilvanaEditoriale)curatedbyChiaraGatiandMarcoPasiwiththesupportofseveralculturalinstitutions(11stMay-24thNovember).OnewonderswhoLuigiPericle posiblywas(Basel1916,Ascona2001).Asamateroffact,thisisanauthenticrediscoveryconnectedtoarecentpurchaseofPericle’sdwelingbyAndreaandGreta Biasca-Caroni.Thehousehadbeenabandonedfrom Pericle’sdeathonwards.ColectingPericle’sartworksandwritings,arealmateroftreasure,sincetheartisthadkept them hiddentotheworld.BorninBasel(althoughhisfatherwasfrom theMarcheregion),LuigiPericleGiovannetimovedtoAsconawithhiswifeintheFiftiesand withdrew tohishouseonMonteVerità.Forsomedecadesstartingfrom the1900,MonteVeritàhadgatheredacommunityofartistsandthinkers,utopistsandanarchists whosharedconceptssuchasnaturism,vegetarianism andtheosophicthoughts.ForwhatconcernsPericle,hewasfarfrom beinganamateurpainter.Inadditiontohis sucesfulcareerasacartoonist-whoinvented“Maxthemarmot”in1951andalsomanagedtopublishitinseveralinternationalmagazines-hetendedtowards abstract-informalpainting.Hisartworkswereappreciatedbyeminentpersonalitiessuchasthewel-knowncolectorPeterG.Staechelin,SirHerbertRead(TateGalery) andtheLondongaleristsbelongingtoArthurTooth&Sonswho,intheSixties,exhibitedhisworksalongwithAppel,Jorn,Tàpies,DubufetandMathieu.Itwasexactlyin 1965,afterasucesfultouringexhibitioninmanyEnglishmuseumsthattheartistsuddenlyabandonedthesceneandconcealedtohishouseinAsconauntiltheendof hisdays,inordertoenjoyhermit’ssilenceandstudyesotericdoctrines,philosophy,theosophyandastrologywhichheusedtoapplytohispaintings.
TheVeniceexhibitionwilbeputingondisplay50artworks(selectedamongthe3500recentlyfound)whichwilbearangedinachronologicalandthematicitinerary coveringtwentyyearsofcareer:theseriesofpyramidsandclocks(«MarchofTime»),thedoorways(«MatriDei»),themoons,thegolems,thearchangels,themonsters («WoodDemon»o«DerHüterderSchwele»)andseveraldocuments.Thisexhibitionrepresentsthefirstimportantstepoftheprojectconcerningthecriticsand philologicalresearchpromotedbyArchivioLuigiPericle,runbyAndreaandGretaBiasca-Caroniandsupportedbyseveralscholars.AsGretaexplained:«Wechose Pericle’shousebychanceaswewantedtoturnitintoourhome,itissoclosetoourhotel.Duetothefacttherewerenoheirs,wemanagedtopurchasethishouseatan auctiononly15yearsafterPericle’sdeath.Certainly,wehadnoideawewouldhavefoundatreasureintermsofart.Periclewasrenownedasamystic,certainlynotasan artist.Wefeltitwasrighttobringhispaintingsbacktolife».
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