United States – “Illustrators for Gianni Rodari. Italian Excellence”
The year 2020 marks the centenary of the birth of Gianni Rodari (October 23, 1920), one of the most famous children’s authors worldwide.
Fairy-tales, nursery-rhymes, poems, short stories, and novels compose his wide artistic production, besides his fundamental essay translated in many countries The Grammar of Fantasy, a milestone in pedagogical-literary culture, born working with children.
The art of creating stories is an ever-present theme, like the arguments Rodari developed in his works are ever vivid. He was the first Italian to win the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1970 and critics are unanimous in considering him one of the most innovative children’s authors.
Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Emilia-Romagna Region and the Italian Cultural Institute in San Francisco celebrate this anniversary with the exhibition Illustrators for Gianni Rodari. Italian Excellence.
Re-printed year after year, Rodari’s works continue to be re-interpreted by great illustrators.
Following this trend, and in coherence with the exhibit Illustration for Youth: Italian Excellence, first staged in 2015 and presented in more than 10 countries to great acclaim, a new edition is presented with the works by Italian illustrators who have interpreted Rodari.
Illustrators for Gianni Rodari is curated by the Cooperative Giannino Stoppani/Accademia Drosselmeier and presents works by twenty-one Italian illustrators. Each illustrator is represented by three works, which are included in the catalogue published by Einaudi Ragazzi, holder of the world rights for Rodari’s writings.
Ranging from historic figures and famous contemporary artists to the younger generation, they are:
Bruno Munari | Emanuele Luzzati | Altan
Beatrice Alemagna | Gaia Stella | Olimpia Zagnoli
Manuel Fior | Alessandro Sanna | Valerio Vitali
Simona Mulazzani | Chiara Armellini | Anna Laura Cantone
Fulvio Testa | Maria Chiara Di Giorgio | Giulia Orecchia
Nicoletta Costa | Federico Maggioni | Francesca Ghermandi
Pia Valentinis | Vittoria Facchini | Elenia Beretta
On December 2nd, the exhibit opens at the Italian Cultural Institute in San Francisco with a critical intervention by Pino Boero: A Grammar of Fantasy an with the participation of Italian illustrator Gaia Stella.
After San Francisco, where it is set until February 20, 2020, the exhibition will be at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair at the end of March. In 2020 its tour will go on in other international venues.
