A world premiere in the most evocative setting: with “Neo-Cave Painting,” a solo exhibition by Bologna-based artist Andrea Benetti—a leading figure in contemporary art and the creator and signatory of the Neo-Cave Art Manifesto, presented in 2009 at the 53rd Venice Biennale—the Castellana Caves make their debut as a unique venue in the art scene.
The exhibition, set up in the Grave, the entrance cavern of the Caves, is curated by Massimo Guastella, professor of Contemporary Art History and scientific director of the LabTASC at the University of Salento. It will be open daily from 9 AM to 7 PM until Sunday, September 25.
The opening event, scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, September 9, at 7 PM, will be enhanced by a live acoustic performance by internationally renowned musician Frank Nemola, trumpeter for Vasco Rossi’s band and former collaborator of Luca Carboni, Frankie HI NRG, and Stadio, among others.
“My dear friend Frank, who has Lecce origins, enthusiastically accepted the invitation,” explains Andrea Benetti. *”His live performance, set against a specially recorded backing track, will break through the twilight, leading into the projection of two giant images—one depicting the horses of France’s Lascaux, the other the bison of Spain’s Altamira, the most famous subjects of prehistoric cave painting.
Finally, the lights will illuminate the seven selected works for this exhibition, focused on the theme of origins—one of the three pillars of Neo-Cave Painting, alongside abstractionism and the modern reinterpretation of cave art.”*
Benetti’s quest for origins first led him to draft the Neo-Cave Art Manifesto, inspired by his mentor, the internationally renowned art critic Gregorio Rossi, and then to search for the most suitable locations.
“The vibrant cultural activity of the Castellana Caves,” says Benetti, “prompted me to reach out to architect Pace, president of Castellana Caves Srl, who immediately showed great sensitivity toward the idea of hosting the first in a series of exhibitions we hope to hold in the most significant caves—first in Italy, then across Europe. These exhibitions have now become the subject of research at Professor Guastella’s laboratory.”
The photographs of the artworks and the exhibition, along with critical texts and the history of the Castellana Caves, will also be featured in the catalog “Neo-Cave Painting.”