‘Contemporary Renaissance’ courtesy MK Search Art

A new group exhibition, entitled ‘‘Contemporary Renaissance’, courtesy Casa Masaccio Arte Contemporanea and MK Search Art revolves around Casa Masaccio.

A curatorial note by Veeranganakumari Solanki elaborates: “San Giovanni Valdarno, the Tuscan town in the historic district of Arezzo, traces a personal and significant association with art, culture and architecture. Being the birth place of the famous Renaissance artist Masaccio (born 1401), there’s a significant and protracted relationship with changing art movements and practices that integrate themselves within the inherent art and culture of this town.

“San Giovanni Valdarno founded in 1296 by the Republic of Florence has integrated itself with cultures and influences from the surrounding regions, thereby imbibing multicultural elements. The architectural layout of the historic centre was created by Arnolfo di Cambio based on the layout of Roman cities. Though San Giovanni Valdarno is an industrial town, it preserves its cultural and artistic heritage.

Artists and art movements over the centuries has been influenced by historic events, political turmoil and contemporary happenings. Artists integrate personal views and ideas into a universal language through their art practices, similar to the history of the town of San Giovanni Valdarno. The artists during the residency at Casa Masaccio explored and excavated, through ideas and research, its historic nature, architecture and art to integrate it into their art practices.

Maintaining an identity of their own, they created a dialogue that engages with San Giovanni Valdarno, its culture and people; and at the same time realized the development of new contemporary ideas and forms through their art. The works created during this period adopt a language that merge into the history of the town, but at the same time maintain universal identities of their own.

Among the participating artists in the show are Remen Chopra, Vibha Galhotra, Sonia Jose and Monali Meher, who together draw deeply from the Renaissance period and school of thought, which was central to San Giovanni Valdarno, the birth town of Masaccio.