From Sunday 10 November 2024 to Sunday 2 March 2025 in the hall of honour of the Ricci Oddi Modern Art Gallery in Piacenza a selection of thirty rare and precious books from the collection of bibliophile Giovanni Aldobrandini is on display.
Curated by Veronica Bassini, the exhibition explores the marriage between art and books through works by artists such as Picasso, Dalí, Matisse, Rodin and many others. The exhibition focuses on the first fifty years of the 20th century, highlighting the distinctive aspects of beaux-livres: books produced in limited editions by expert craftsmen and artists, in which literary content merges with visual art, transforming the book into a true art object.
Particular attention is devoted to Surrealism, a movement whose centenary is being celebrated in 2024. The works of Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Salvador Dalí, Man Ray and texts by André Breton and Paul Éluard testify to the profound interest that visual artists had in the book as a space for research, reflection and collaboration.
