Estate Italiana

Estate Italiana – Film by Eric Minh Swenson

Italian Summer by Cynthia Penna,
The Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH) celebrates the rich and vibrant history of Italian artistic tradition by showcasing seven contemporary Italian artists in its newest exhibition, Estate Italiana. MOAH will be kicking off this exhibition with a free opening reception on Saturday, August 26, from 4 – 6 p.m., where the public may view the exhibition and meet each artist. Estate Italiana (Italian Summer) will be on view from Saturday, August 26 through Sunday, October 22. The exhibition is part of a cultural exchange program between the Lancaster Museum and ART1307, an arts institution headquartered in Naples, Italy. The exchange began in 2015 when ART1307 hosted an exhibition originating at MOAH. This summer’s exhibition features a breadth of work including paintings, sculptures, video installations, and murals. Guest curator Cynthia Penna writes, “There is no doubt that the great and immense history of Italian art hovers like a heavy and complex cloud over artists today.” Like the sons or daughters who live in the shadow of a famous parent, many contemporary Italian artists are crushed under the weight of the legacy of such masters as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, or Raphael just to name a few. The artists taking on this challenge in Estate Italiana are Alex Pinna, Antonella Masetti, Carla Viparelli, Carlo Marcucci, Max Coppeta, and Nicola Evangelisti. Marco Casentini, originally from La Spezia, Italy, will be joining the artists of Estate Italiana with the launch of his own traveling exhibition, Drive In, which will transform MOAH’s main gallery and showcase his vibrant collection of abstract paintings inspired by metropolitan architectural structures. With Drive In, the gallery becomes an immersive installation that envelops the spectator in geometric shapes and colors, created specifically in relation to the gallery itself. In doing so, Casentini aims to develop a complex relationship with the larger space and modify the perception of the viewer. This exhibit will also celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the Fiat 500 by wrapping the vehicle in a complementary design, which audiences will be able to visit at the Hunter Alfa Romeo/Fiat showroom at the Lancaster Auto Mall. Drive In will travel to Milan, Italy at the Bocconi Art Gallery of the University Bocconi and finish at the Reggia Reale di Caserta in Caserta, Italy after its launch here in Lancaster. Estate Italiana is generously supported by the Lancaster Museum and Public Art Foundation, ART 1307, Best Western – Desert Poppy Inn, Hunter Alfa Romeo/Fiat, Fregoso Outdoor Foundation, Visco Financial Insurance Services, LookUp, and the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles.

MOAH: Estate Italiana | City of Lancaster

Estate Italiana exhibition at the Lancaster Museum of Art and Hystory

Highlights from the exhibition “Estate Italiana” held at the Museum of Art and Hystory in Lancaster, California from August 26 to October 22, 2017.
This exhibit was curated by Cynthia Penna and featured the works of the seven Italian contemporary artists Alex Pinna, Antonella Masetti, Carla Viparelli, Carlo Marcucci, Marco Casentini, Max Coppeta and Nicola Evangelisti.
The two music soundtracks “Different Day” and “Circular Disorder” are courtesy of the Dutch trio Unheard Music Concepts.

Alex Pinna Works at Moah Museum in Lancaster, CA

Antonella Masetti Works at MOAH Museum in Lancaster, CA

Carlo Marcucci Works at MOAH Museum in Lancaster, CA

Max Coppeta Works at MOAH Museum in Lancaster, CA

Nicola Evangelisti works at MOAH Museum in Lancaster,CA

Carla Viparelli Works at MOAH Museum in Lancaster,CA

Estate Italiana exhibition presented by MOAH Museum Staff