Thursday 13 January 2011

trip to north Italy

I ended 2010 with an amazing trip to North Italy. I visited my friend Maria Grazia in Torbole Sul Garda.. [I mentioned about her in one of my last posts here ].. Even though most people told me that it is not the best time of the year for visiting that part of Italy, I simply adored... She showed me around her house, her town and towns nearby: Arco, Rovereto, Riva del Garda.. She has a beautiful studio within her newly renovated house by lake Garda.. It was a very nice trip, aside from freezing cold weather!!!
She has taken me to MART, a modern art museum in Rovereto designed by Mario Botta.. Rovereto, with around 40.000 inhabitants, not a big city and it was totally surprising to see this relatively big, modern museum surrounded by 18th century buildings.. There was 4 exhibitions at the same time and main exhibition "Modigliani Scultura" was very impressive.. even though it was not an extensive collection, all pieces were meticulously chosen.. Another exhibition was "Mario Botta. Architetture 1960-2010" where you may see all his projects with original sketches, models, photographs and drawings..

when it comes to ceramics... not only I have seen beautiful pieces in her studio, but also she has taken me other places where I could see different examples of ceramics.. when we were walking around Rovereto, we have visited a studio/shop of a local ceramist Antonio Asinari. He has a very distinctive style that you can see in his whistle here below... Yes, it is a whistle!
She also introduced me to her ceramist friend, Giuseppe Marcadent. It was such a great pleasure to meet him and to visit his studio.. He mainly makes stoves in ceramics -renovation works or new ones- but he also makes delicate, precise porcelain artworks.. I am so fortunate to have one of these beauties as a present. you may also see it here below.. Now they sit on my shelf together with my other ceramic treasures.