Contemporary Mythologies: The Monteverdi Project

About

Please join us for an exciting panel discussion led by Kovet.Art on Giovanna Petrocchi’s forthcoming solo show with the gallery, Contemporary Mythologies: The Monteverdi Project. The show is hosted by Archaeologist, Luca Savelli, at the Tenuta di Monteverdi Estate in Tuscany, commencing this summer with a VIP viewing on 12th June 2021. The show will be on display at the estate till 4th September 2021. Viewing is by appointment only.

The talk will be an engaging discussion with archaeologists Luca Savelli (Consigliere of Culture of the County Council) and Dr. Alessandro Sebastiani (Asst. Professor in Roman Archaeology at SUNY) on art, identity, contemporizing ancient cultures and narratives including their current excavation project with the IMPERO Project.

Kovet.Art artist and photographer Giovanna Petrocchi will then talk about her practice while sharing a preview of the works in the exhibition catalogue.

See the exhibition catalogue in an online magazine format here. The catalogue (best viewed on a laptop) features an overview of the excavations with the IMPERO project as well as Petrocchi's artworks (featured from page 11 onwards).

The exhibition combines eighteen works across three series from Petrocchi's ongoing interrogation of the portrayal of past and present: Caves and Myths (2017), Modular Artefacts (2019) and Magic Lanterns (2020-ongoing). Presented at the Monteverdi estate in Tuscany, Petrocchi's practice will meld with the history of the area, creating an ephemeral show that drifts across different timelines, set against the backdrop of an archaeological dig site that underlines the unearthing and reinterpreting that has long characterised the artist's work.

The talk is for 30 minutes with Q&A from the audience.

The exhibition is a collaboration between Kovet.Art and the contemporary art museum of Polo Culturale Le Clarisse in Grosseto, and is supported by the municipality of Paganico, and the American University at Buffalo.

We hope to see you there!

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About the speakers:

Giovanna Petrocchi’s practice investigates the visual connections between different eras: both the present, which is steeped in virtual innovation and the uncanny; and the past which can be seen as obscure and mysterious. Petrocchi creates collages using found images, her own photographs and archival museum imagery to build multi-dimensional works. This technique evokes an imaginary realm, representing displaced artefacts in bright, contemporary spaces - confusing our sense of past and present.

Luca Giannuzzi Savelli, FRGS, PCfA, was born in Rome but lived in the UK from the age of 5, returning to live in Italy in 2017. Having studied languages and literature as an undergraduate at the University of Exeter, he undertook a Master’s in Commercial Property in London and worked in the real estate sector in New York, London and Florence, until eventually deciding to study again in 2013. At the Institute of Archaeology (University College London), Luca primarily studied Egyptology and Funerary Archaeology, obtaining a Master’s in 2015. Afterwards Luca participated in several excavations in Italy and Ethiopia, eventually moving to Italy to take over his family business in farming and property, and joining Impero Project in 2017 as Project Manager of the two excavations on his estate in Tuscany. Luca is interested in history and archaeology, as well as travelling, riding, skiing and reading. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, a Practitioner of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, and in the elections of 2019 was elected as Consigliere of Culture of the County Council.

Dr. Alessandro Sebastiani has joined the University at Buffalo (SUNY) as Assistant Professor in Roman Archaeology in 2017. Before moving to Buffalo, he served as visiting Professor of Classical Archaeology at Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic). From 2012 to 2014, he was a Marie Curie Intra-European Fellow at the Department of Archaeology of the University of Sheffield (UK). His research focuses on Roman economy and settlement networks in south Tuscany where he directed the Alberese Archaeological Project from 2009 to 2017, before starting the IMPERO Project in collaboration with The Cooper Union University (New York) and Michigan State University.

Camilla Grimaldi, Chief Art Officer at Kovet.Art, has extensive experience in the art world in various capacities including as curator, gallerist and international art advisor for over 20 years. She is our liaison with corporates in finance and real estate. She curates the platform’s exhibitions and pop-ups. She works directly with emerging and established artists and has curated contemporary exhibitions in both private and institutional spaces. She began her career at prestigious institutions including Christie’s New York Contemporary Art department, the Guggenheim, Venice and White Cube, London. After her studies in Art History at Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Italy, she achieved an MA in Modern and Contemporary Art at Cambridge University in collaboration with Christie’s Education. In 2004 Camilla co-founded Brancolini Grimaldi, a contemporary photography gallery which opened in Rome and Florence, ultimately moving to London in May 2011. Camilla is currently on the advisory board of Photo London.

Saras Rachupalli, CEO & Founder at Kovet.Art, is passionate about supporting high calibre emerging artists with ambition and building a curated solution to showcase their works. Her vision is to help emerging and established collectors, corporates and businesses, understand, enjoy and connect with contemporary art. Raised in a family of artists and writers, Saras has been deeply involved in the art world - managing private and museum exhibitions, publications and collections. She combines her experience as an Electronics Engineer and a senior Finance & Strategy Consultant working with C-level executives in top global firms, to bring technological and business model innovation to the traditional gallery model. Her specialisation in Art & Financial Markets and Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s and Entrepreneurship & Innovation from Stanford University only furthered her interest in creating this platform. Saras holds a Masters Degree in Financial Engineering & Operations Research from Columbia University, New York. Her advisory experience in Asia, New York and London brings a global perspective to growing Kovet.art into an international brand.