It's always sad to say goodbye to a successful edition of Legato, but after some much needed sleep it is good to reflect on it too. I think the strength of Legato is that it is so varied; different works trigger emotions for different people. Just when I wonder if a work is not speaking to anyone where I have placed it, someone will come in and shed tears because it has brought back a memory or triggered a forgotten emotion.
Legato creates a special space, and this was never more evident than in this edition in the old bookshop at the Historiale. This proved to be a wonderful location and venue, despite the challenges it brought us. Having three separate spaces allowed us to create different reflective areas and the larger works made a good backdrop for interviews and performances.
It is not a space to talk about purchasing or pricing works, it is a place to reflect, to learn, to remember. Each time I think that I can't do this any more, someone will say something that reminds me that this is important; it is not about keeping going, it is about doing what has become a labour of love.
I would like to acknowledge my very quiet but superb co-curator, Jack Erdhuizen; without his help at exhibition time I simply couldn't achieve what you see, and the strength of the New Zealand side, Regan Balzer, who brings wonderful works ranging from student work to masterpieces, both old and new. Legato is a living, changing being, and it is a privilege to meet the people who are moved by this New Zealand exhibition in Italy.
Legato creates a special space, and this was never more evident than in this edition in the old bookshop at the Historiale. This proved to be a wonderful location and venue, despite the challenges it brought us. Having three separate spaces allowed us to create different reflective areas and the larger works made a good backdrop for interviews and performances.
It is not a space to talk about purchasing or pricing works, it is a place to reflect, to learn, to remember. Each time I think that I can't do this any more, someone will say something that reminds me that this is important; it is not about keeping going, it is about doing what has become a labour of love.
I would like to acknowledge my very quiet but superb co-curator, Jack Erdhuizen; without his help at exhibition time I simply couldn't achieve what you see, and the strength of the New Zealand side, Regan Balzer, who brings wonderful works ranging from student work to masterpieces, both old and new. Legato is a living, changing being, and it is a privilege to meet the people who are moved by this New Zealand exhibition in Italy.
My thanks as always go to the New Zealand Embassy in Rome for their interest and moral support, and this year also to the NZ Defence Force, whose support made this an unforgettable event. (More about the opening night in a later post).
Click this link to see the video of Legato works at the Historiale, Cassino, 2019.
Click this link to see the video of Legato works at the Historiale, Cassino, 2019.
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