Names, Things, Cities: Divine Comedy

Nomi, Cose, Città. Divina Commedia.  

The exhibition deconstructs the Divina Commedia in singular elements that are part of specific categories, and creates a visual archive of one of the most famous long narrative poems in the world. Every illustrated image refers to main characters as well as objects, atmospheric agents, architectures, cities, landscapes, animals, and so on.

The main categories are about people and divinities, nature and architecture, and these are relevant for their specificity and individuality as well as for their coexistence in the amazing scenarios envisioned by Dante. The collection of these details of Divina Commedia’s legend has been constructed following the development of the poem, choosing mostly one element per canto to create an illustrated archive that represents a playful device towards rethinking the Divina Commedia in a more contemporary and popular way. The ambition is to create a unique but flexible vision of the poem, countering the most recognizable contributions made by artists such as Dorè, Botticelli, and Blake, whose works have dramatically shaped our visual imaginary of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.