A new book collection recounting the journey of green exhibitions in Castelfiorentino
This new collection of widespread exhibition art books, conceived and curated by Maria Vittoria Gozio, was realized within the “Castelfiorentino Metamorphosis” project sponsored by the Castelfiorentino Municipality in collaboration with the C.E.T.R.A Cultural Association and Atelier Dall’Osso snc.
In the past four years there have been four widespread art exhibitions across the city, from which the first three volumes of the widespread exhibition book collection and a short film were created.
The collection was created to chronicle within its pages the journey of green exhibitions in Castelfiorentino. Through the many narratives of all the key players involved in each of the volumes, the books highlight the cross-contamination created when using art as a medium that intersects the spaces of the city and surrounding area in an inter-generational dialogue.
The sculptors involved in the project created their works of art using scraps of various materials such as plastic, paper, metal and stone, thus inserting their artistic journey into a sustainable and circular economy framework.
Listed here in chronological order are the three artists featured in the first three books of the collection. The first was Davide Dall’Osso, who in 2019 installed his sculptures made with plastic polymer scraps in his installation “The Space to Be.” The exhibition recounted the journey that human beings undertake in search of their own identity.
Next was Antonio Massarutto, who presented his installations in 2020-2021 in his exhibition “Urban Soul” dedicated to the animals of the world. The artist transformed plastic waste, metal wire (such as copper) and stones into works of art. In the book about the sculptor Massarutto, a section was dedicated to a series of land art sculptures (made from natural materials collected in the area where the works were installed) dedicated to local wild animals. The artist created these site-specific sculptures in various areas along the Via Francigena pilgrimage route as part of the Francigena Soul project.
And the third was Brunivo Buttarelli, who in 2022 created “Emerging,” a series of sculptures made from stone and scrap metal that formed a pathway of installations. The exhibition told the story of the infancy of our planet through cyclical time, archeological time, geological time and paleontological time.
The sculptor Davide Dall’Osso returned again in 2023 with the widespread exhibition “Community” with 80 sculptures spread throughout the city.
Each volume in the book collection was conceived to tell about the works and the places within the city that hosted them, both culturally-significant ones as well as the community’s everyday spaces. From the BEGO museum to the Teatro de Popolo, from the square in front of the town hall to the winding streets of the historic city center, from the Vallesiana Municipal Library to the outdoor spaces of the Pieve Santi Ippolito e Biagio, the books offer a broad overview of the local area. The volumes include a combination of images of the sculptures and stories about the city that enhance each other through a meaningful photographic journey offered by photographer Andrea Lisi and the Giglio Rosso Photographers’ Association of Castelfiorentino.
Each volume offers a sequence of three parts. The first part of every book includes essays shared by prominent people from the city who are part of the cultural landscape of Castelfiorentino.
The second part features mostly comments, essays and drawings from the children and young people who participated in the courses run by the C.E.T.R.A Association and the artists, using scrap materials to make their artwork. The project was also carried out thanks to the involvement of teachers from the Istituto Comprensivo and the Istituto F. Enriques in Castelfiorentino. The third part of each volume is dedicated to an interview with the artist and their biography.
This bilingual Italian/English collection aims to meet and embrace the large numbers of cultural tourism visitors our region welcomes each year.
Beyond thanking the people who actively participated in creating this collection, a special thanks goes to all the residents of Castelfiorentino who by going about their everyday routines and “simply” inserting the works of the widespread exhibitions into their daily lives made this project into a project for everyone. Originally conceived as a straightforward exhibition art catalog, this project quickly evolved into an experimental book/diary format after the contributions changed, the shared experiences multiplied, the channels of communication opened up, and the collaborations became stronger.
These books are the product of the city of Castelfiorentino’s “voices” in art.
All of us together have created this collection, which will continue to follow all the upcoming widespread exhibitions. In these books you will discover the projects, the voices, and the footprints we’ve left behind.
Happy reading.
Maria Vittoria Gozio
