Contemporary Byron

Giampiero Corelli’s New Photography Exhibition in Ravenna: Contemporary Byron

Yesterday, in the evocative Franciscan Cloisters of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Ravenna, the photography exhibition by Giampiero Corelli dedicated to Lord Byron was inaugurated. This event anticipates the opening of the Byron Museum at Palazzo Guiccioli, scheduled for October 25.

A Contemporary Tribute to Byron

The exhibition consists of twenty-five photographs that reinterpret Byron’s poetry and ideals in a contemporary key. The images are displayed on easels, as if they were verses to read or declaim, paying homage to the complexity and modernity of the famous English poet. Corelli described the project as a fascinating challenge: “It was an extremely complicated job, but I love challenges,” he declared. He drew inspiration from the connections between Byron and his previous work on Dante, highlighting common themes such as beauty, freedom, transgression, and love.

The Synergy Between Images and Verses

Each photograph is accompanied by a quotation from Byron, demonstrating his extraordinary contemporaneity. Antonio Patané, art historian and writer, praised this choice, stating, “Byron is incredibly modern, and from his modernity come the exhibition and the book.” The ability to pair each image with a fitting quotation was not a given, but it ultimately underscored Byron’s enduring relevance.

Towards the Opening of the Byron Museum

Giuseppe Ernesto Alfieri, president of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio, highlighted the importance of the exhibition as a prelude to the opening of the Byron Museum. “Ravenna now has another illustrious adopted citizen besides Dante,” Alfieri remarked, emphasizing how Byron’s figure is deeply present in the city. He recounted how the idea for the images was born: “Some time ago, I told Corelli that, in preparation for the opening of Palazzo Guiccioli, I would like to devise a way to intrigue people. So, we thought of a series of huge posters to put up around the city, without fully explaining what they referred to. It was after seeing Corelli’s photos, together with Riccardo Nencini, president of the Gabinetto Vieusseux in Florence, that we decided to turn them into an exhibition and a book.”

An Itinerant Exhibition

Following its debut in Ravenna, the exhibition will travel to Florence, Venice, and Rome. Yesterday’s opening was attended by notable figures such as Daniela Ferrari, curator of exhibitions and conservator of the Mart in Rovereto, Riccardo Nencini, and cultural assessor Fabio Sbaraglia. All expressed their appreciation for this visual tribute to Byron.

Exploring Byron’s Modernity

Corelli’s exhibition represents a unique opportunity to explore Byron’s relevance through an innovative artistic approach. The photographs, paired with Byron’s quotes, invite viewers to reflect on themes of beauty, freedom, transgression, and love, which remain strikingly contemporary. This connection between image and text not only enhances the viewer’s experience but also reaffirms Byron’s place in modern cultural discourse.

The Challenges and Inspirations

Corelli openly discussed the challenges he faced in creating the exhibition. “It was an extremely complicated job,” he explained, “especially in understanding how to concretize the idea of the exhibition. But I love challenges and drew from connections with my previous work. For seven years, I worked on a project titled ‘Dante Exiled,’ and Byron is an exile, by choice and necessity. I thought there could be a connection and started to develop recurring themes in Byron’s poetry and thought.”