The Illustrators’ Exhibition and the exhibition Illustration for Children: Italian excellence has been touring international cultural centres including Chicago and Berlin
The 53rd edition of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, concluded on the 7th April after having enjoyed extraordinary success with both the public and professionals from the sector (+16.8% in foreign visitors compared with the 2015 edition), is now set to continue its work of promoting culture around the world. The exhibition will visit a number of cultural centres around the world with initiatives with a far-reaching intellectual scope.
On tour will be the works of 77 illustrators selected for the Illustrator’s Exhibition, the jewel in the crown of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair that this year celebrates the significant milestone of its 50th anniversary. The event has become one of the most important exhibitions on an international level, offering an extraordinary overview of the latest developments in illustration. On Thursday 21st April (until 5th May) the Illustrators’ Exhibition arrived in Chicago, at Columbia College in the Averill and Bernard Leviton Gallery, thanks to the collaboration of the Italian Trade agency.
Being selected for the exhibition in Bologna offers illustrators a high profile showcase, after Chicago the exhibition will arrive in Japan on a five-month tour of art museums beginning on the 2nd July. From the Spring of 2017 to the summer of 2018 it will continue to six cities in China: hosting the exhibition will be some important galleries including the National Gallery of Beijing and art museums.
The Italian Institute of Culture in Berlin is the venue for the third stop for the exhibition: Illustration for Children, Italian excellence: focussing on the extraordinary quality of Italian illustration, the exhibition tells the story of the last forty years through the works of 18 truly great artists.
The exhibition, which enjoyed great success on its first stops in Madrid and then Bologna, arrived on Thursday 21st April in Berlin. A rich selection of works document that artistic pathway pursued by established illustrators such as Roberto Innocenti and Lorenzo Mattotti as well as young talents such as Philip Giordano and Arianna Vairo, who over two generations have changed the face of illustrated books for children; their originality and wealth of expression having also had an impact abroad, where they have received prizes and awards. Attending the opening, in addition to representatives from both the Italian Institute of Culture in Berlin and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, will be the illustrator Mara Cerri, one of the artists whose works are a fine example of Italian Excellence and are included in the Exhibition. She will also be holding a workshop for children. Also present will be Anna Castagnoli of LeFiguredeiLibri, a blog about the study and research of illustration and a reference point for the sector and for many young illustrators.