WORKSHOP – Giorgio Morandi: The Italian Master of Modern Tim

Saturday 11^th September 15.00-18.00 - Lecture Room – Main Hall

In conjunction with the exhibition in the Western Wing of the Shanghai Exhibition Centre dedicated to Morandi, this workshop entails a series of talks by three experts on the renowned Italian artist. The discussions will reveal unexpected insights into the unassuming modern master’s work, from his influence on different artistic genres and his connection with traditional Chinese aesthetics, to the fundamental relevance of his work for image making today. The workshop is organized in co-operation with the China Academy of Hangzhou with the support of the Region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

Following the opening address by Fair Director Colin Chinnery, the Director of the MAMbo Museum of Modern Art Bologna, Gianfranco Maraniello, will start the discussion by examining the relevance of Morandi’s work today. His talk, entitled Timeless Morandi, will illustrate how the consistency and coherency of the painting and the various techniques used by Morandi place him, figuratively speaking, outside the twentieth century.

Jiao Xiaojian, professor of painting at the China Academy of Art, shall then trace the fascination with Morandi’s work in China to the classic work “Six Persimmons” by the Song Dynasty painter Mu Qi; revealing an overlap of aesthetic concerns between these two cultures.

Finally, China Academy of Art lecturer, Jiang Liang, will explore the elements of “observation, time, and revealing” in Morandi’s work, and discuss how this can potentially help contemporary image making in our oversaturated mass media age. A Question & Answer period will conclude the workshop.

Speaker biographies:

Since 2005 Gianfranco Maraniello has been the Director of the Institution of the Gallery of Modern Art of Bologna which includes the Morandi Museum and MAMbo – the Museum of Modern Art of Bologna. He was previously the curator of the Palazzo delle Papesse di Siena and of MACRO – the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome, as well as one of the curators of the Sixth edition of the Shanghai Biennale (2006).

Jiang Liang was born in 1978 in Ningbo city, Zhejiang Province. He is a post doctorate scholar and lecturer at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou.

Jiao Xiaojian is a professor of painting and doctorate tutor at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou. He is a member of the Art Phenomenology Research Institute and also a member of the China Oil Painters Association.