Curated by Gabriele Simongini
Opening to the public from February 17 to April 21, 2024, Manuel Felisi. 1:1 is an exhibition by artist Manuel Felisi, curated by Gabriele Simongini and housed at the Museo Carlo Bilotti, in the heart of Villa Borghese. The exhibition is promoted by Roma Capitale, the Department of Culture, and the Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali, produced and organized by Galleria Russo, with the support of Gruppo Banca del Fucino and in collaboration with Fondazione Bioparco di Roma, with media partnership from National Geographic Italia. The Museo Carlo Bilotti, an ideal location for this project, serves as a backdrop for Felisi’s artistic exploration of the animal world—a bestiary painted on large wooden panels, interacting with the nearby Bioparco, Italy’s oldest zoological garden. This collaboration with the Bioparco allows visitors to see some of the animals depicted by the artist live, offering further insights into the nature of these species.
As suggested by the title 1:1, the exhibition features 80 life-sized works, created using Felisi’s hybrid painting technique—his hallmark style that blends traditional methods with technological innovation, finding versatility as the key to his artistic research.
“Felisi/Noah,” writes curator Gabriele Simongini, “brings into the great Ark of painting the image and memory of animals whose existence is often threatened by our reckless and pervasive environmental destruction. Suspended between appearance and disappearance, frequently transformed into ghostly presences, these animals stare at us almost in disbelief, standing in life-size scale against backgrounds that evoke the refinement of Art Deco and a time that already belongs to the dimension of memory.”
In fact, while trees and floral forms—symbols of life celebrating the power of nature—are central to Felisi’s previous works, in 1:1 he shifts to representing the animal kingdom for the first time. The exhibition includes both two-dimensional works and some pieces brought to life through digital art, adding an element of movement to traditionally static artworks.
“On the large wooden surfaces,” Felisi explains, “the rollers, gauze, resins, and irregular patches that characterize my painting found fertile ground to create a fantastical world in which to immerse my animals.”
The exhibition’s concept emerged during the first lockdown in the spring of 2020. In that dramatic period of stasis caused by the COVID pandemic, some photographs of animals Felisi took during a trip to Senegal prompted reflection on the dangers these species face due to the degradation of their natural habitats. Through art, Felisi envisions an enchanted garden that shields these animals from all threats.
The clear reference is to Noah’s biblical Ark. Just like Noah’s Ark, Felisi’s is made of wood, which is why the works are presented on large wooden panels. There are also connections to contemporary influences, particularly Andrea Pazienza’s “Bestiario,” a collection of animal-themed drawings and sketches by the famed Italian cartoonist, and the children’s creations by Bruno Munari, where animal forms play a central role.
