ROMANTICA 2021

Shape of my art

International Contemporary Art exhibition

April, 23 - May, 2 2021

Concept edited by Art Curators

Alessia Perone – graduated in “History and Criticism of Art” and in “Sciences and Cultural Heritage”

Ilaria Falchetti – graduated in “Sciences and Cultural Heritage”

“Whoever says Romanticism refers to Modern Art, that has the meaning of intimacy, spirituality, colour and aspiration towards the boundless world expressed with all the means that the arts offer.”

(Charles Baudelaire)

Nowadays, the term “romantic” refers to people or sentimental situations that evoke a particularly suggestive atmosphere typical of a loving relationship lived with an enchanted trepidation. In reality, historical, literary and artistic Romanticism embodies true passion, struggle, love of country, the “storm and the rush” (Sturm und Drang). A new way of seeing nature was born with it, no longer considered as an object to be studied and controlled, but as a creative force that escapes from all the rules. Closely related to this there is the concept of “genius”, as the one who creates free from rules, and therefore driven by his own feelings. This is how, from 1800 onwards, the adjective romantic has been used in literary genres as chivalric novels, to depict fantastic events in a given historical setting. Alongside this initial meaning, the meaning of “picturesque” was developed, referring not only to what was artistically depicted, but also to emphasize the feelings which could be taken from an artwork. In this way a different trend was enhanced based both on imagination, modernity and past values. In fact, philosophers like Schlegel and Nietzsche consider Romanticism to be one of the hinges on which the spirituality of the so- called romantic man revolves, embodying boldness, striving towards an unattainable utopia up to the point of merging himself with nature and history. An arduous task, but by no means impossible! His sensitivity to the infinite and to reality coincides with what surrounds him, and every material and immaterial element becomes the objective manifestation of his distress, where feelings are the engine of deep states of mind that stimulate the spirit to open up towards the Universe. The direct consequence of what man experiences refers to a feeling that afflicts the individual and pushes him to go beyond the limits of earthy reality, now become oppressive and suffocating, to take refuge in his own introspection or in a dimension that goes beyond space-time limits. A remarkable progress is made with the exploration of the irrational, including feelings, madness, dreams and visions which all take a crucial role to help both the artist and the viewer to escape from reality. Every feeling is even more emphasized within the art: artists like Caspar David Friedrich, with his natural landscapes which tell about the “sublime” better than a thousand words; or William Turner, who is defined as the “master of light”; John Constable with his poignant country landscapes; Eugèene Delacroix, who embodies all the tension and melancholic sensuality of the romantic spirit in Freedom Leading the People; and finally Francesco Hayez, who recounts the past in a modern key, as in his work The Kiss, underlying the values of nation, freedom and courage. From the 19th century until today, artists have developed and promoted an artistic practice consisting of contemplation of the infinite and the symbolic power of the forces of nature. With “Romantica - Shape of my Art”, M.A.D.S. Art Gallery of Milan invites each artist to plunge into the heart of his or her own soul, with the aim of extrapolating and bringing out a new sensitivity, evoking passions and emotions, stimulating the mind and heart of the viewer, pushing them beyond the known limits up to the origin of memory and remembrance. Unity, vigour, instinct, individuality and the ability to perceive the surrounding environment are exalted in order to give ample space to a single great Love... that of Art! Because no one can stop the impetus and the storm of a romantic heart!

Event/

ROMANTICA

2021

Artworks

ROMANTICA