From October 17 to 27,the former Anglican Church in Alassio (Savona) will host an exhibition featuring Giuseppe Guidi (1881–1931). “The Sign and Alchemy” is a retrospective exhibition dedicated to Giuseppe Guidi (Castel Bolognese, 1881 – Milan, 1931), an artist active during a particularly fruitful period in 20th-century Italian art and culture. Promoted and organized by the Associazione Amici di Borgo Coscia and curated by Piera and Antonella Olivieri, the initiative aims to bring renewed attention to Guidi’s life and work, while also reconstructing his network of relationships with key cultural figures of his time.
Among these, Gabriele d’Annunzio holds a prominent place; he knew and appreciated the work of Guidi, a refined painter, etcher, and master enameler. The poet welcomed several of the artist’s works to the Vittoriale degli Italiani, including a Via Crucis, which is still preserved at the complex in Gardone Riviera. Their relationship is also documented in the poet’s correspondence, in which he repeatedly expresses his appreciation for Guidi’s work. The exhibition in Alassio therefore aims to present the artist not only through his works but also within the context of the interconnections between art, literature, collecting, and culture in early 20th-century Italy.
A section of the exhibition will also be dedicated to Guidi’s works on the theme of St. Francis of Assisi, marking the 800th anniversary of his death. Drawings, etchings, and engravings will be on display, illustrating the artist’s particular focus on the figure of the saint.
The initiative is also linked to the story of Emanuele “Nello” Aicardi, Giuseppe Guidi’s son-in-law, on the fifteenth anniversary of his passing. A journalist and man of letters, Aicardi was committed to promoting social and community initiatives in Alassio, and in 1992 he received the Ambrogino d’Oro from the City of Milan, becoming the first non-Lombard to receive the honor. It was also thanks to his efforts that an important museum complex was established in Castel Bolognese—Guidi’s hometown—dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the artist’s works.
The collection was donated to the city following the passing of Aicardi’s wife, Camilla “Milla” Guidi, in accordance with her wish to bequeath a body of works to her father’s hometown as a means of preserving and passing on his legacy. The exhibition in Alassio thus also forms part of this family and cultural narrative, which connects generations and cities and now allows us to retrace the presence of Guidi’s work in several sites of Italian cultural memory, from the Vittoriale degli Italiani to the Civic Museum of Castel Bolognese.
The opening is scheduled for Saturday, October 17, at 5:30 p.m. On the same occasion, there will be a booth for the “Alassio in Rosa per Alessia” initiative, promoted by the Alassio City Council’s Departments of Volunteer Services and Equal Opportunity and of Commerce, in collaboration with AIRC, Gesco, and numerous local associations, organizations, and businesses. The initiative is dedicated to raising awareness and funds for research on women’s cancers.
The exhibition is sponsored by the Municipality of Alassio, the Liguria Region, the Province of Savona, the Municipality of Castel Bolognese, the University of Genoa, the Vittoriale degli Italiani, the Civic Museum of Castel Bolognese, AdAC – Contemporary Art Archive, and the M.A.C. Foundation. – Museum of Ponte San Pietro (Bergamo). Also collaborating on the project are the Alassio – Baia del Sole Lions Club, the Vecchia Alassio Association, and the Giancardi Galilei Aicardi Institute of Alassio.
The collaboration with the Hotel Management School is part of a broader involvement of local institutional and private entities that have supported the creation of the exhibition and the book dedicated to Guidi. The book, conceived as a resource for exploring the artist’s life, his body of work, and the relationships that shaped his personal and professional journey, will be presented alongside the exhibition.
The book opens with a preface by Professor Leo Lecci of the University of Genoa, introducing the various essays included in the volume. In addition to presentations by curators Piera and Antonella Olivieri, the president of the Associazione Amici di Borgo Coscia, the mayor of Alassio, Marco Melgrati, and the mayor of Castel Bolognese, the book includes contributions by Rosanna and Valentino Donati, Jader Dardi, Anna Gambi, Claudia Andreotta, Francesca Bogliolo, Armando Bellelli, Alberto Mingotti, Alessandra Micheletti, and Attilio Compagnoni.
The Municipality of Alassio, Marina di Alassio, Gesco, and various local businesses contributed to the creation of the exhibition and the book. The program also includes outreach activities and events for schools, with guided tours for educational institutions, the Unitre in Alassio, the Unitre in Albenga, and various local associations. The organizers also plan to involve additional local associations in the initiative as it progresses.
“It is with great joy,” says Alassio Mayor Marco Melgrati, “thatour municipal administrationwelcomes and supports, at the site of the former Anglican Church, the exhibition dedicated to Giuseppe Guidi, an artist of extraordinary talent and a leading figure in an important era of Italian art. This initiative, already of great artistic and cultural significance in its own right, takes on an even deeper meaning for our community as it serves as a heartfelt tribute to Emanuele “Nello” Aicardi on the fifteenth anniversary of his passing. I would like to express my deepest gratitude and praise to the curators, Piera and Antonella Olivieri, who, with dedication, affection, and that deep sense of belonging that binds them to the local area and to the memory of their uncle Nello Aicardi, have been the driving force behind this exhibition, which has come to fruition thanks to the commendable efforts of the Associazione Amici del Borgo Coscia and numerous distinguished local and national organizations and individuals who have worked tirelessly to ensure the great success of this important initiative.”
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| Giuseppe Guidi, the artist beloved by d’Annunzio, on display in Alassio |
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