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The Pre-Columbian Teotihuacán civilization is one of the most fascinating and mysterious ancient empires in history.  This civilization ruled Central America before the arrival of the Aztecs. Now we can appreciate the empire in its infinite splendor in a fantastic exhibition at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome until February 27, 2011.

Following the myth of Teotihuacán, the name of the city is often translated as the “birthplace of the gods”. This is how the Aztecs called this iconic city, whose mammoth ruins stood are now home to one of the world’s largest cities: Mexico City. The fascinating pyramids are just some of the little evidence left over from that mythical place that existed between about 100 to 650 AD, with a population estimated to be around 200,000. It was probably one of the largest cities in the Western Hemisphere before the arrival of Europeans.

The city collapsed around the 7th or 8th century, for reasons that have been the object of speculation during centuries.  Despite the fact that the cities residents were noted craftsmen and excelled at various artistic achievements, evidence of a writing system was ignored for years because it was less easily deciphered than other pre-Columbian writing systems.  However, recent scholarship suggests that there was in fact writing, and the glyphs were so artistic that it was not initially recognized as such.

More than 300 objects, from monumental sculptures to fascinating murals that speak of myths and religious beliefs are displayed in the halls of the Palazzo delle Esposizioni. This fascinating exhibition shows the most amazing gadgets of the Teotihuacan culture, testifying to the incredible sophistication, vast creativity and passion for art and design that defined this civilization, and had a profound influence over other, later Centro American civilizations. Take a trip to the past when you visit this exhibit.

More information: http://english.palazzoesposizioni.it/Mediacenter/FE/CategoriaMedia.aspx?idc=400&explicit=SI

Heloise Battista

You can get closer to understanding this mysterious civilization when you rent apartments in Rome and visit the exhibit.  It is sure to leave you intrigued and and impressed by the powerful legacy iof human creativity.

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Translated by: salome antigone
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Balloco Mario is a master of abstraction. Born in the early twentieth century in Milan, his true passion, beyond art, was scientific research. This passion is reflected in his creative experiments, undertaken within the movement “Origine” which Ballocco founded by himself, and marked a turning point in art history. Origine was the first group of artists dedicated to abstract art in Italy.

It was Ballocco who later and, after the dissolution, propelled and spread experimentation with abstract figures and non-figurative art, an artistic posture which was position completely revolutionary in its time.

A central part of his job was also the exchange and collaboration with scientists working in the field of physics, optics, psychology and medicine, underscoring again his exhaustive search for the intersections between science and art. Thus, throughout his career, began to investigate the concept of vision and the sociology of color. This research remains relevant even today for its therapeutic dimension.

In this line the exhibition that opened last Sept. 30 in the MACRO in Rome.  Titled “Odissea dell’Homo Sapiens” the exhibition explores the sociological and anthropological aspects of everyday human life by presenting 51 drawings by the artist, with all that that they include, featuring reflections on love, conflict, power relations, political and cultural activities, etc.Ballocco´s work reveals the most intimate and dark passions and actions of humans, highlighting his dark sense of humor.

For more information about the exhibition visit: http://en.macro.roma.museum/mostre_ed_eventi/mostre/mario_ballocco_odissea_dell_homo_sapiens

Heloise Battista

Rent apartments in Rome and visit the exhibition until February 6, 2011 and get into the dark imagery of this legend of abstract art.?

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Translated by: salome antigone
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The MAXXI in Rome stands out for its avant-garde curator, who always presents the most innovative artists of today. Now he strikes again with an interesting exhibition centred on the works of Michelangelo Pistoletto, one of the most important figures of the art scene in recent years.

The Italian artist made his name in the art world as one of the pioneers of “Arte Povera”, and like German artist Joseph Beuys, he prompted a paradigm shift with regard to the definition of art itself, stipulating, art as a highly sensitive universal expression.

The curator Carlos Basualdo has designed an exhibition in conjunction with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which will present one hundred works by Pistoletto that highlight his extensive artistic research, focusing on the representation of self,  and the creative collaborations that have marked a turning point in his work. However, the most important section of the sample is stitched around the series “Minus Objects ¨ a set of several pieces from the ’60s, noted for their minimalist aesthetic. Finally, we have a workshop to experience his recent utopic project “Cittadellarte” in which Pistoletto explores the democratization of art and, in the spirit of Beuys, proposes the opening of art to the masses, and underscores its potential to propel social changes.

For “Fashion Citadellarte”, part of the utopian project, the artist joined forces with the editors of Vogue Italia, to introduce young designers in the world of eco-textiles and sustainable textile production. Prepare yourself for this important international exhibit, which will open Oct. 28th at the Museum of Philadelphia, and then will move to the halls of MAXXI in the coming year. In it you will see Pistoletto testify as a strong believer in social change. For now we encourage you to rent apartments in Rome, to keep track of this interesting artist, and enjoy your next visit to the Eternal City, where you can see the best in both contemporary and ancient art.

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Kutlug Ataman is a Turkish artist and filmmaker whose work brilliantly transcends the boundary between reality and fiction. His videos explore the fragility of personal identity, and the artist is particularly interested in individuals who are outside conventional social categories. What Ataman really finds striking are the outsiders, those who no longer have much to lose, but so much to gain. Thus, his artifice reasserts with absolute certainty the notion that identity is not firmly rooted in the individual, and more like a costume we put on daily.

And this is where the Ataman’s work takes on a fascinating strength and depth. If identity is challenged as the primary basis and foundation of all that is our reality, our life becomes a complexly textured interplay between real memories and imagination, between fact and fantasy. In his work, Ataman displays, consequently, the obvious intersections between these two terms, diluting, finally, the boundary between reality and fiction.

As of September 12 Rome’s MAXXI has been home to one of his most recent and ambitious works, a video installation titled “Mesopotamian Dramaturgies”, in which Ataman once again, takes up the issue of the construction of identity, without losing sight of its social dimension. Ataman returned to Turkey, as an intermediate point between east and west, where this contradiction between two worlds is evident, to examine points of the fragile collective identity that generate shock. Once again the protagonists are marginal figures, who are on the verge of forging cultural and social identities.

Rent apartments in Rome and be sure to catch this fantastic exhibition at the MAXXI.