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Showing posts from January, 2014

Rocco Papaleo: Basilicata Coast to Coast

Born in the southern Italian region of Basilicata, Rocco Papaleo has been working in cinema, television, theatre and cabaret for three decades. He's a familiar face to Italians and a naturally funny person whose jokester ways have made for many funny skits on variety shows and television series while his keen acting skills have made him one of Italy's most beloved character actors. Papaleo grew up in Lauria, a small city located in the province of Potenza in Basilicata. He moved to Rome when he was 18 years of age. Although acting seems second nature to him, it was not his chosen field. He originally majored in mathematics and planned on becoming a teacher. He had a change of heart after he saw how much a friend who was studying acting enjoyed her craft. It was not long after that change of heart that Papaleo starting working in the industry. He spent the first part of his career on stage and on the small screen and then moved to feature films in the '90s. Ba

Ray Caesar - Solo Exhibition in Rome and Torino

Dorothy Circus Gallery - Rome www.dorothycircusgallery.com Palazzo Saluzzo Paesana  - Torino www.palazzosaluzzopaesana.it/‎

MOMA & Guggenheim - NYC exhibiting Italian Art through Design & Futurism

There are two fantastic exhibitions on display in January and February in New York City.. The continuing exhibit of Italian Production Designer Dante Ferretti at MOMA.. and a new exhibit opening in February at the Guggenheim, which will present an overview of Italian Futurism.  Italian Futurism, 1909–1944: Reconstructing the Universe February 21–September 1, 2014 The first comprehensive overview of Italian Futurism to be presented in the United States, this multidisciplinary exhibition examines the historical sweep of the movement from its inception with F. T. Marinetti’s Futurist manifesto in 1909 through its demise at the end of World War II. Presenting over 300 works executed between 1909 and 1944, the chronological exhibition encompasses not only painting and sculpture, but also architecture, design, ceramics, fashion, film, photography, advertising, free-form poetry, publications, music, theater, and performance. To convey the myriad artistic languages employed by the

Neapolitan Director- Toni D'Angelo brings Naples to New York City

Promoting new Italian cinema; that is the mission of the N.I.C.E. Film Festival (New Italian Cinema Events) and organizers choose cutting edge filmmakers who tell powerful stories about the issues facing their generation. The N.I.C.E. Film Festival takes place on both coasts of the United States with screenings in New York City and San Francisco. I attended the 18th edition in New York City a few years back when among the new crop of filmmakers was Toni D'Angelo. Toni is no stranger to my readers. I first wrote about him way back in 2005 when he was in the very early stages of planning his first feature film.   One can say that he was just following in the footsteps of iconic father, the beloved Neapolitan singer and actor, Nino D'Angelo.   Toni called on his father's experience as an actor by casting him in his first feature film. The two proved to be a great team as they delivered a touching portrait of Naples with its beauty, its problems and its rich history. &qu

Roberto Rossellini- Father of Neorealism

During the dark days of World War II Italy, as the battlefield took over parts of Italy, Cinecittà, the country's version of Hollywood, was shut down. By 1944, the studio had stopped film production and was used as a refugee camp for Italians who fled the South. Since the compound at Cinecittà housed most of Italy's movie sets and sound stages, the country's filmmakers were left with nothing. So, what did director, Roberto Rossellini do? He took his cameras to the streets to document the despair of post-war Italy, and neorealism was born.     Neorealism is a style of filmmaking that uses real-life situations and mostly untrained actors to tell character-driven stories that do not rely on special effects, formatted scripts, or complicated camera angles. The director does not manipulate the audience. The characters do this with their eyes, struggles, and emotions as they constantly search for the truth. Rossellini's first documented attempt using this new technique

Gagosian Gallery-Rome presents the work of Kathryn Andrews and Alex Israel

GAGOSIAN GALLERY - ROME  Kathryn Andrews | Alex Israel January 16 - March 15, 2014 Opening reception for the artists: Thursday, January 16, 2014 from 6 – 8PM Gagosian Gallery Rome will present an exhibition of new works by Kathryn Andrews and Alex Israel. Born in 1973 in Mobile, Alabama, Kathryn Andrews creates sculptures, prints, performances and other works that explore how material exists representational relationships. Earlier this year Andrews was the subject of a solo exhibition called, "Special Meat Occasional Drink" in Cologne. In 2012 she presented the solo exhibition, D.O.A. | D.O.B. at David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles. Andrews was also included in Made in L.A. 2012, organized by the Hammer Museum and LAXART in Los Angeles; First Among Equals, ICA in Philadelphia; and When Forms Become Attitudes, CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts in San Francisco (traveling to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit). Other recent exhibition