Vanvitelli's ingenuity through the photography of Luciano Dinverno and Luciano Romano at the Royal Palace of Caserta


The spaces of the Grand Gallery of the Royal Palace of Caserta are hosting their first temporary exhibition: a tribute to the ingenuity of Luigi Vanvitelli through two photographic projects 250 years after the famous architect's death.

The Reggia di Caserta, in the spaces of the Grand Gallery, presents until July 15, 2024 the exhibition Visioni, which includes two projects: Attraversamenti by Luciano D’inverno and Genius et Loci - La drammaturgia dello sguardo by Luciano Romano. More than 100 works in all that aim to tell the story of Luigi Vanvitelli ’s ingenuity on the occasion of the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of his death. In addition to making a further contribution to the knowledge of the figure of the famous architect, through these two projects it is intended to highlight how contemporary photography can be able to represent important historical-artistic episodes, thanks to its own ability to convey their meaning and significance with immediacy.

“In the era of the fast-flowing and disjointed overlapping of images, of the indistinct succession of visual products, amassed as an indistinct quantity devoid of quality, the appeal of photography remains unaltered,” commented Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano. “The photo captures reality, like many other technological tools, but imprinting a unique and poetic suspension of the moment it imprisons with the shot. Against the time that passes quickly and against the media pastiche that trivializes everything, photography becomes a gesture with which to preserve the instant and make it eternal.”

Visioni, curated by Gabriella Ibello, is conceived as a hypertext and a metatext by means of which visitors are offered a multi-voice reading of theVanvitellian work. Hence the decision not to create real sections, but a suggested path to follow in order to orient oneself in the approximately 130 shots that embrace a good part of the 3,000 square meters of space in the rooms partially returned by the Air Force to their museum purpose. Visions is in fact the first temporary exhibition to occupy the spaces of the Grand Gallery, in the arrangement entrusted to Opera Laboratori.

With Attraversamenti, Luciano D’Inverno wants to rewrite in pictures the story of a vision whose power made possible the grand architectural and hydraulic engineering work of the Acquedotto Carolino, retracing Vanvitelli’s steps and following the path of water with his photos. With Genius et Loci. The Dramaturgy of the Gaze, Luciano Romano intends instead to pay tribute to Vanvitelli’s contribution to the evolution of modern architectural culture, showing through his photography the beauty of Vanvitelli’s work in different places in Italy.

“We chose a photographic exhibition,” explained Tiziana Maffei, director of the Royal Palace of Caserta. “Framing has always been the protagonist of the Vanvitellian work. Inherited from his father Caspar Van Wittel, a famous vedutista, it was developed in architecture by Luigi with the skillful management of spatial composition according to the three Vitruvian principles of utilitas, firmitas, venustas. The language of photography seemed the most suitable to stop and convey Vanvitelli’s architecture.”

The Visioni exhibition is open to the public on museum opening days, from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. with last admission at 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Emanuele A. Minerva - Ministry of Culture

Vanvitelli's ingenuity through the photography of Luciano Dinverno and Luciano Romano at the Royal Palace of Caserta
Vanvitelli's ingenuity through the photography of Luciano Dinverno and Luciano Romano at the Royal Palace of Caserta


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