ART CITIES: Rome-Atelier dell’Errore
Atelier dell’Errore (AdE) is an artist collective dedicated to visual arts and performance. It was formed in 2015 and constituted social enterprise in 2018. Since its foundation the AdE BIG workshops have been permanently housed as a work in progress within the Collezione Maramotti based in Reggio Emilia. AdE BIG originates from the project Atelier dell’Errore (Atelier of the Mistake), dedicated since 2002 by the visual artist Luca Santiago Mora to the kids of the children neuropsychiatry departement of the hospital in Reggio Emilia and Bergamo, becoming the Atelier dell’Errore Association in 2011.
By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Richard Saltoun Gallery
Atelier dell’Errore’s (AdE), “Die Werkstatt” is inaugural exhibition of Richard Saltoun Gallery in Rome. Atelier dell’Errore is an artistic collective devoted to the realms of visual art and performance. Having been active since 2015, AdE, born out of a 2002 project, finds its home within the prestigious Collezione Maramotti in Reggio Emilia. Comprising ten neuro-divergent, young talents, the collective functions as a dynamic organism reminiscent of a Renaissance workshop, where each artist specializes in a specific phase or process of the overall project. “Neurodivergent” is a term used to describe individuals whose neurological development and functioning differ from what is considered typical or “neurotypical.” It encompasses a range of conditions, including but not limited to autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, and others. Essentially, neurodivergent individuals may have neurological conditions that affect their cognitive and sensory processing in ways that deviate from societal norms. The concept of neurodivergence emphasizes the natural diversity of neurological characteristics and challenges the idea that there is a single, “normal” way for the brain to function. Instead, it recognizes and celebrates the variety of cognitive styles and experiences that exist within the population. The showcased artworks trace their origins to a monumental 22-meter gold leaf frieze titled “Die Goldkammer,” originally crafted by AdE for a room in Palazzo Torlonia. The north side of the Palazzo, facing Via Condotti, suffered a devastating fire in 1991. During a visit to the AdE studio, Princess Olimpia Torlonia shared a poignant tale of discovering small golden spheres amidst the ashes of her palazzo – the molten remnants of gilt ceiling decorations. This discovery served as the catalyst for AdE’s incorporation of gold, envisioning the rebirth of a new world populated by enigmatic animal hybrids emerging from the ashes of destruction. The exhibition unfolds as a narrative connected to Die Goldkammer, featuring drawings and studies. Conceptualized as a journey from the intimate to the grand, the micro to the macro, the gallery to the palace, the exhibition invites viewers through a hallway culminating in seven Small Mother Cells – the foundational elements of an organic structure. As one traverses the space, figures evolve, animals transform, and surfaces become increasingly intricate, providing a multisensory experience. In conjunction with the exhibition, the gallery has produced a leporello initiated by the curator. This visually captivating leitmotif serves as a representation of the exhibition project, illustrating a score of counterpoints between micro and macro, part and whole, inside and outside. This artistic endeavor promises to captivate and transport audiences into the imaginative realm of Atelier dell’Errore.
Photo: Atelier dell’Errore, Die Goldkammer (detail), Palazzo Nūnez-Torlonia, Rome, © & Courtesy Atelier dell’Errore
Info: Curator: Eva Brioschi, Richard Saltoun Gallery, Via Margutta 48a-48b, Rome, Italy, Duration: 18/1-/3/2024, Days & Hours: Tue-Fri 10:30-19:00, Sat 11:00-19:00, www.richardsaltoun.com/
