Monday, December 16, 2013

Venice: Ca Pesaro - Camera 1953-1964 - The Years of Romeo Martinez exhibition

 
Venice: Ca Pesaro - Camera 1953-1964 - The Years of Romeo Martinez exhibition. On the ground floor of Ca Pesaro, the International Gallery of Art Museum, Camera 1953/1964, The years of Romeo Martinez an exhibition curated by Francesca Dolzani and Silvio Fuso (until february 16) which celebrates the influence, support and promotion of European photography which Romeo Martinez had as the editor of the renowned Swiss photographic magazine Camera during the ‘50s and ‘60s, at a time when industry, advertising and fashion resorted to the strategic use of the image.
Above: A photograph of Romeo Martinez taken in Saint Mark’s Square in 1959 by Vittorio Piergiovanni. The exhibition is enriched with precious unpublished materials from the private archives of Martinez, and chosen with particular reference to his presence in Venice, where he organized the International Venice Photograhy Biennale between 1957 to 1965.
 



Some of the covers of Camera magazine.

“It is impossible to over-estimate the influence of Romeo Martinez on the development of contemporary photography.  Through his years as the editor of Camera, he gave photographers of all ages, nationalities, and persuasions a showcase in the magazine.  He lavished on us, his friends and collaborators, his understanding of the medium, his passionate interest and advocacy of photographic or (our) personal causes, his knowledge of printing techniques, his taste and intuition.”
Cornell Capa

 Photograph courtesy Ca Pesaro

The cover of the catalog for the II International Venice Biennale  of Photography, 1959 – photograph by Arik Nepo curated by Romeo Martinez.


In the photograph taken in Venice in 1961 by Walter Boje; Man Ray, Fritz Gruber, Morris Gordon and Romeo Martinez.
 
 
“Martinez is, in my humble opinion, the father confessor of many photographers who came to him begging for absolution.  His greatest sin is never having asked them for any offerings for his worship of photography.  He knows each of us better than we know ourselves.”
Henri Cartier-Bresson

 
Camera 1953-1964 - The Years of Romeo Martinez. The curators of the exhibition, Silvio Fuso, who is also the director of Ca Pesaro and Francesca Dolzani.


 Camera 1953-1964 - The Years of Romeo Martinez. Martinez enlightened magazine editor, curator of the Venice Biennale of Photography and promoter of major international publishing projects.

“Martinez was the earliest true connoisseur of photography.  He was the first person to really respect photography.  And he, in turn, brought respect to it."
Andre Kertesz
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Monday, December 09, 2013

Venice: Correr Museum – The Venice International Foundation Annual Members Gala Dinner



Venice: Correr Museum – The Venice International Foundation Annual Members Gala Dinner. The annual dinner of the members of The Venice  International Foundation was held this year in the majestic ballroom of the Correr Museum in St. Mark's Square. The gala dinner celebrated the Fortuny Mission project with a big fat check, whilst another big fat check was given for part of the restoration of the newly opened Mocenigo Museum.  Among the evening festivities the 2013 Venice Foundation Cotisso Prize was given to Andrea Tomat. And a special guided tour of the newly re-opened Empress “Sissy” Imperial suites was given by the museum’s director Andrea Bellieni.


Correr Museum: The Venice International Foundation dinner.  The president and driving force of The Venice International Foundation Franca Coin awards two checks for the restoration of works to Walter Hartsarich, president of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, for conversation and restoration of the newly opened Mocenigo Museum and to Daniela Ferretti curator of the Fortuny Museum; in particular for the restoration of Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo’s model of the Teatro delle Feste, the wall paintings of the studio, the model for the theater in Bayreuth and the great album of Fortuny Theatre Projects all of which have now been concluded.  The next contribution is required  for the restoration of the dies for printing on fabric that Mariano realized over a period of forty years in the field of fashion and decoration. These wonderful prints are a real "dictionary" an ornamental language of Fortuny and an indispensable tool for understanding the meaning of his art.

 
The Venice International Foundation dinner.  The members of the board  of The Venice International Foundation awarded the coveted 2013 Venice Foundation Cotisso Prize to Andrea Tomat. Walter Hartsarich, Francesco Molinari, Franca Coin, Andrea Tomat, Helene de Prittwitz Zaleski, Paolo Cantarella and Giustina Destro.


  Walter Hartsarich, president of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia and his wife Lina.

 
May and Axel Vervoordt, Franca Coin, Julia and Gabriel Cuonzo

 
 Vittorio Gregotti

 
 Cesare and Liliana Rimini


The Venice International Foundation dinner.  Under Antonio Canova’s bas-reliefs, Bisol’s Jeio Cuvee Rose brut was served before a special guided tour of the newly restored private rooms reserved for Empress "Sissi" of Austria in the Imperial Apartments of the Royal Palace, of which the Correr Museum occupies a part.

 
Axel Vervoordt and Daniela Ferretti

 

John Fiorilla di Santa Croce and Melissa Conn with Canova’s statue of Erma di Saffo.



Adele Re Rebaudengo, Toni Tapies, Fabio Moretti, Natasha Herbert Tapies and May Vervoordt



Royal Palace – The Imperial Rooms. One of the imperial rooms occupied by the Empress “Sissy” of Austria with a spectacular marble and lapis lazuli table. 

 photograph by manfredi bellati

Correr Museum – The Ballroom. The sumptuous and opulent ballroom is unique in the palace for the refinement of its Empire-style decor and is set up for the annual members gala dinner of The Venice International Foundation. Lorenzo Santi began the works on the design in 1822, and Giuseppe Borsato completed the decoration in 1838. The room is bounded at both ends by loggias intended to house the orchestra. In the foreground one of two sculptures in Vicenza stone by Antonio Canova depicting Orpheus and Eurydice.

  photograph by manfredi bellati

  The Venice International Foundation dinner.   The table centerpiece was designed by Franca Coin.  Her husband Piergiorgio kindly picked the walnuts and chestnuts himself come from the family estate in Asolo.

 

Royal Palace: The Imperial Rooms - The Empress’ Bedchamber. From 1856 on, this spacious room was used as Empress Elisabeth’s bedchamber. The lavish neo-Baroque hangings in blue and light gold were added in 1854, when renovation was carried out and the original is preserved under this one, which is an accurate reproduction by Rubelli. Although no longer present, we know that the empress’ bed was in the Rococo style, surrounded by curtains hanging from a metal baldachin. The daybed is one of the few pieces of furniture from the Napoleonic period to have remained in the palace and on the wall hangs an oil painting of the Empress Elisabeth.

 
 Royal Palace: The Imperial Rooms. The director of the Correr Museum, Andrea Bellieni conducted a special guided tour for the members of The Venice International Foundation of the newly restored Imperial rooms recently re-opened to the public in the Royal Palace where Princess “Sissi” of Austria stayed, for 38 days, during her first visit to Venice in 1856. Later, Elizabeth chose the lagoon city as a refuge after the death of little Sofia, between October 1861 and May 1862.

 
 Andrea Bellieni and Franca Coin

 


Inma Cavallucci and Helene de Prittwitz Zaleski

 
Andrea Tomat and Piergiorgio Coin
 
 
Alessandra Mancino and Giuliano Paterlini



Caterina Tognon and Marco Vitale
 

  Royal Palace: The Imperial Rooms. 
 


Paolo Cantarella

 
Michele and Alessandra Merlo



Alessandra Mancino, Franca Micheli, Angela Cacopardo, Tatiana Ughi and Giuliana Micheli

 
Liliana Moscheri and Annabella Bassani


The Venice International Foundation dinner – The Cotisso Prize.  The president of The Venice International Foundation Franca Coin gives the Cotisso 2013 Venice Foundation Prize to illuminated entrepreneur Andrea Tomat, who with his “Stonefly walking with Art” project has succeeded in combining his deep and strong business commitment for the support of young artists. A brave act of patronage which in such difficult  times for the economy can only be a sign of optimism and should be rewarded.


The Menu

Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Scallops Flavored with Truffles

Turbot with a Selection of Vegetables

 

  A selections of Dolci di Pompeo


Tete-a-tete


 St. Mark’s Square by night as seen from the Correr Museum.



 





 
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