The three exhibition stations evoke a journey, a journey of discovery and growth through knowledge. Looking back at the evolution of our species, from the first prehistoric migrations up to missions into space, human progress can be condensed into a single crucial drive – the journey, the instinctive urge for survival that prompts us to explore the beyond, to see what is elsewhere. In conceiving these departure stations, we felt the need to equip them with a place for pause and investigation in order to prepare for the discovery of the themes they address. The Rotonda, at the centre of the various exhibition itineraries, will therefore host a series of exceptional visitors who will help us understand our planet, the Universe, mankind and its history.
An explorative journey into the Earth through the artistic incursions of Margherita Morgantin in the depths of the Gran Sasso laboratories, talking with Riccardo Venturi (28/10) and through the research of geologist Carlo Doglioni (25/11). Or into the dark cosmos through the lens of astrophysicist Lucio Angelo Antonelli (09/12).
Should the destination be the human being itself, what better travel companion than the Nobel Prize for Medicine Mario Capecchi? He will be in Italy to talk with film director Roberto Faenza, who directed a film based on the adventurous childhood of this genial scientist who is now a naturalised American (01/12). Alternatively, the esteemed medicine historian Bernardino Fantini will offer a historical perspective on epidemics as a key to an improved understanding of our present times (04/11). And how about an ethologist, Enrico Alleva, who along with biopsychologist Daniela Santucci will help us better understand the human brain and its evolution (10/02).
Looking back at our origins, we will see the kind of human being to emerge from the stories of Giorgio Manzi, one of our most eminent anthropologists, in dialogue with Telmo Pievani, a remarkable evolutionary expert who has curated major scientific projects at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in the past (02/12). Or Marcello Barbanera, archaeologist, who will be unveiling the common ground shared by scientific and artistic research (18/11).
The quest for knowledge which set us on our path is the point of contact between mathematical and artistic research, traditionally regarded as being two realms of knowledge which stand far apart. A series of meetings scheduled for the month of January will explore the many ways in which creativity and calculation come together, from the beauty and quirkiness of mathematics according to physicist Ingrid Daubechies (10/01, online meeting) to a reflection on language and its specific aspects in the experience of mathematician Roberto Natalini, artist Cesare Pietroiusti and Chiara Valerio (13/01), a writer with a mathematical training. French mathematician and writer Michéle Audin will be exploring the role of geometry in the narrative architecture of Italo Calvino secondo (20/01). Alessio Figalli, winner of the prestigious Fields Medal in 2018, will be sharing his precious experience in conversation with journalist Roberta Fulci (31/01, online meeting).
The programme as a whole strives to understand the ways in which art, science and society interact and reflect one another in a series of collective musings which will involve journalists Marco Cattaneo and Marco Motta with academics Fabrizio Rufo and Lucia Votano (16/12); Elena Bonetti, mathematician and equal opportunities and family minister, Rector of Rome’s Sapienza university and doctor Antonella Polimeni, journalist and writer Cristiana Pulcinelli (17/02).
The meetings will be in Italian.
Download the Meetings brochure (in Italian)
Info
Palazzo delle Esposizioni - Rotonda
via Nazionale 194
Entrance ticket to the exhibitions and the meeting: special rate of € 4.00, from 6.00pm, until places last