Exhibitions, Bper presents ‘Countries Vaghissimi Giuseppe Zola and landscape painting’

“The Gallery. Collection and Historical Archive ”of Bper Banca presents, from 10 December 2021 to 13 March 2022, at the exhibition spaces in via Scudari 9 in Modena, the exhibition dossier“ Vaghissimi countries. Giuseppe Zola and landscape painting ”, curated by Lucia Peruzzi. The exhibition is dedicated to Giuseppe Zola (Brescia, 1672 – Ferrara, 1743), a painter from Brescia, who arrived in Ferrara at a very young age where he carried out all his activities. Considered a master in landscape painting, the artist is able to carve out a relevant position among the bourgeoisie and the Este nobility for which he produces a considerable quantity of landscapes destined to embellish halls and galleries. Zola is a completely unique figure in the Ferrara cultural and artistic context of the eighteenth century for his vast production of paintings almost entirely of a landscape nature, able to satisfy, with the pleasantness of the subject and the pictorial management, the growing demand for canvases for furnish the buildings of the city. The exhibition is divided into eight canvases from the new headquarters of the Monte di Pietà in Ferrara, built in 1756. Following the merger by incorporation of the Cassa di Risparmio di Ferrara into Bper Banca, which took place in 2017, these works and 24 other paintings by the same author have become part of the art collection of the banking group, which today includes over a thousand masterpieces, from the fifteenth to the twentieth century. «Art has constantly confronted itself with the theme of nature – writes the curator Lucia Peruzzi – in a continuous and complex change of point of view, and is inevitably intertwined with the way of seeing and interpreting the territory. But it is in the seventeenth century that nature, from a simple background, begins to assert itself in its autonomy. And the arcadian and atmospheric landscape of the eighteenth century, in its various declinations, has its roots in the landscapes of the previous century, from the solemn and idealized visions, almost timeless, to the images of a picturesque nature, full of feelings and suggestions. Zola starts from these dominant themes and reworks them with quotations ranging from Claude Lorrain to Salvator Rosa, in a chromatic research mediated by the knowledge of Marco Ricci’s works. In his paintings alpine landscapes with rocks and waterfalls, ruined architecture and old peasant farmhouses alternate with more serene views of the countryside lying along the banks of very placid rivers, immersed in the silence of the veiled atmosphere of noon, with the blue of the sky and the violet reflections of the distant mountains ». «Each of our actions – declares the President of Bper Banca Flavia Mazzarella – has an impact on the landscape that surrounds us and, more generally, on the environment. For this reason, Bper Banca is carrying out initiatives to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), not only economic and environmental, but also social and cultural sustainability objectives of the 2030 Agenda, for the future well-being of people and territories. This new exhibition therefore has a double objective: to present the splendid nucleus of Giuseppe Zola, master of landscape painting, and to sensitize the public on the importance of preserving the wonders of the territory ». «The enhancement of the masterpieces of Bper Banca’s corporate collection – writes Sabrina Bianchi, project manager – is one of the main objectives that“ La Galleria. Collection and Historical Archive ”aims, together with the desire to contribute to the dissemination of a sustainable culture, open to all and integrated into people’s lives. “Very vague countries” transports the visitor on a visual path in which the landscape is not just a background, but is capable of stimulating reflection on how much the anthropic impact has determined over time ». In compliance with current legislation, to access the exhibition spaces it will be necessary to show the Green pass and wear a mask. The exhibition, with free admission, is open to the public until March 13, 2022, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00-13.00 and 14.00-18.00; Christmas closure on weekends 24-26 December and 31 December – 2 January. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog available on site with a critical text by the curator Lucia Peruzzi, a text dedicated to the gardens of Eraldo Antonini (agronomist who works in the ornamental green sector, public and private, since 1995, former contract professor in the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia where he taught “Restoration, restoration, conservation and reconstruction of historic gardens”) and rich iconographic apparatus. “The Gallery. Collection and Historical Archive “of Bper Banca” La Galleria “of Bper Banca was founded in 2017 with the aim of enhancing the historical-cultural heritage of the territory, making the art treasures of the Group’s collection accessible to the public on a rotating basis, which includes a thousand works, from the fifteenth to the twentieth century. Not just a museum, but a place of cultural exchange, to consolidate the relationship that binds Bper Banca to Modena; a sign of continuity with the past and openness to the future. Among the most important exhibitions set up from 2017 to today, we highlight: “A treasure chest for art” (2017), “Illustrious guests in the Gallery. Master of the Crivelleschi Polyptychs and Cola dell’Amatrice “(2018),” Jules Van Biesbroeck. The soul of things “(2019),” The perspective of the ephemeral. Antonio Joli and the “scene by corner” (2020), “Baroque correspondence” (2021), “Elisabetta Sirani. Virtuous woman, heroine painter “(2021). The Historical Archive is a documentary heritage that collects the memory and testimony of the path followed by BPER Banca and by the banks which, over time, have been incorporated into the group. Memory is fundamental for the birth of a new “corporate cultural responsibility” that combines public and private interest. The study and cataloging activity has allowed the publication of the following volumes: “Le Signorine della Banca Popolare di Modena” (2018), “I Primi Soci” (2019), “You are born close. From advertising to social media ”(2020),“ Today for tomorrow. A brief history of savings “(2021).