Robyn Hughes: powerful works from 2014

Some years ago I was privileged to meet Robyn Hughes, and to later visit her in her home to view her then "works in progress", huge works on canvas based on the research she was doing into the battles for Cassino.

The inaugural exhibition of these works in 2014, described by the gallery as "unmissable", was held in Whakatane, New Zealand. The works are on a very large scale, which no small screen can do justice to, but Robyn has kindly allowed me to publish the work here on the Legato blog. Please turn your sound on to hear the words of the soldiers as they went into Cassino.

Video link: Into Cassino by Robyn Hughes

Access to power points permitting, this work will be displayed on screen in Cassino, 16 - 20 May 2019.

Legato May 2019

Preparations are underway for Legato 2019.

It seems a long time since I posted here. A new hard drive in my computer and forgotten passwords, missing photographs that didn't arrive despite being sent three times, and a lot of travel to visit my veteran father in New Zealand. No one excuse big enough, but that was the reality of my life, so this blog, along with my children's book blog, was left to wither in cyberspace.

But we are back! It's the 75th anniversary of the battles for Cassino, and Legato (which has been visiting smaller towns like Colfelice and Roccasecca since the 70th anniversary - see the Facebook page for the Roccasecca event) will return to Cassino this year to a new venue a short walk from the railway station. More posts will follow. 

Legato at Cassino 2014

Please use links from this post to see photographs of the Legato exhibitions 2014.

• Photographs only click here:  Legato Cassino 2014 
• "Return to Monte Cassino" guest exhibitor Maree Wilks.
• Sala Pietro Malatesta, Biblioteca Comunale: list of exhibitors in Cassino 2014

Legato - Quick Links for Information

 
"Freedom" 2010 photograph by Lorraine Beattie

Preparations for Legato 2014, part of the commemorations for the seventieth anniversary of the end of the battles for Cassino, are well underway. Over 100 artworks by 37 New Zealanders will be on display in Cassino, and 12 artists are planning to be here in person. The exhibition is also being supported by the Ngati Ranana culture group from London.

The opening event is at 1pm on Saturday 17 May in the Sala Pietro Malatesta, Biblioteca Comunale, when the exhibition will be opened by His Excellency Dr Trevor Matheson, New Zealand Ambassador to Rome.

A second opening event and blessing will be at the Historiale on Sunday 18th at 4.30pm when the exhibition by guest exhibitor Maree Wilks is formally opened (it will be able to be viewed prior to this).

Legato was established by New Zealand curator and organiser Kay de Lautour Scott in 2010 after discussions in London and in Italy with veteran Douglas Lyne (1921-2010), founder of the Monte Cassino Foundation for Remembrance and Reconciliation, about the role of the arts in international understanding and cultural exchanges in peace work.

Exhibitions to date:
2010 Cassino, Italy (NZ artists with German & Italian NZ artists)
2010 Roccasecca (FR) Italy (NZ artists)
2011 Wallace Gallery, Morrinsville, New Zealand (NZ artists)
2011 Cassino, Italy (NZ, Canadian & Italian artists)
2012 Cassino, Italy (NZ, Canadian, Hungarian, English & Italian artists)
2012 Roccasecca (FR), Italy (NZ, Canadian & Italian artists)
2013 Monte San Giovanni in Campano, Italy (selected NZ artwork)
2013 Cassino, Italy (NZ, Canadian, Italian, Russian, USA & English artists)

While essentially a New Zealand exhibition, approximately 60 artists of seven different nationalities have contributed to Legato to date.

To help newcomers to Legato find their way around the blog and videos, here are some useful links.

The history of Legato (blog post)

Why "Legato"?  (blog post)

A range of videos:
Mosaic artist Janice Corbishley discusses her work and involvement in the Legato Exhibition 
Painter Jon Stevenson explains his artwork and his trip to Cassino
Mixed media artist Frances Rookes  interview at Legato
Photographer Lorraine Beattie interview at Legato
Italo-Kiwi Margherita Giampietri discusses her work and the logistics and benefits of taking part in international exhibitions, and compares Italian and NZ post-war experiences  video

General background and artist comments (2010): Legato at Cassino (video)

The opening in 2010: Legato opening (video, short version)

Artists hold a short service of remembrance at the Commonwealth cemetery (video)

The first Legato exhibition, Cassino Italy 2010 (blog post)

Legato on Vimeo (click here for link to 15 videos)
Thanks to Nicola Blackmore of feijoafilms (Scotland and Melbourne) for travelling to Italy to produce these videos in 2010.


Legato on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Legato-Exhibition-Italy/109656259065551?fref=ts

"Return to Monte Cassino" Maree Wilks

The Associazione Linea Gustav - Centro studi e ricerche storico militari, in their museum space in the grounds of The Historiale, Cassino, will host the guest exhibitor at Legato this year, photographer Maree Wilks. Maree travelled to the 60th commemorations with New Zealand veterans, and this exhibition is the pictorial record of that journey back to Cassino.

The official opening of "Return to Monte Cassino" will be included in the main opening of Legato in the Biblioteca Comunale venue. 

In addition, on Sunday 18th May at 4.30pm, after the New Zealand service at the Commonwealth Cemetery, the Maori Culture group, Ngati Ranana, who are supporting Legato, will perform in the grounds of the Historiale at a second event to dedicate and open this exhibition.  

This event is the day after the official opening of Legato at the Sala Pietro Malatesta, Biblioteca Comunale, on Saturday 17th May at 1pm. 

Saturday 17 1pm, Biblioteca Comunale, Via Carmine, Cassino

Sunday 18 4.30pm, in the grounds of the Historiale (near the railway station). 

Legato on Tour

Legato goes to Ortona with the MCFRR and the Comune di Cassino.

Ortona on the Adriatic Coast is twinned with the city of Cassino. The "Gustav Line" which was established and vigorously defended by the Germans stretches from the Adriatic coast near Ortona across Italy, linking the towns in this battle in the winter of 1943/44 (until the liberation of Cassino in May 1944).

For the 70th commemorations of the Battle of Ortona, the Comune of Cassino joined with the people of Ortona to present an exhibition for commemoration, "ORTONA CASSINO una Linea di Unione". The Monte Cassino Foundation for Remembrance and Reconciliation (MCFRR) was invited to present works from Legato in a joint exhibition with local artists from the Ortona branch of U.C.A.I.

The magnificent venue in the Palazzo Farnese gave some of these works their best showing aesthetically, as larger works are a little difficult to display in local spaces with set size openings or where walls are marble or plaster.

Below are some of the photographs from the event, but because the rooms were so full of guests and people were wanting to ask questions and discuss individual works I was not able to get many good photos showing the works to advantage.

The event was opened with powerful choral singing, speeches and finally a visit to the exhibition. I was very pleased to hear the Monsignor advise people to look carefully at the visiting works and to consider the messages that were within them. He had clearly spent some time contemplating these himself.

Art (images) and music are very international languages. Sometimes they allow people to unlock things that have been buried for too long. It is wonderful to hear, five years after the first Legato, how works are continuing to have an impact on the people who contemplate the images.

I offer a very sincere thank you to the artists who continue to allow me to share their works in Italy.

The cathedral choir opened the event.

 Dr Danilo Salvucci, (Consigliere Comunale and president of the committee for the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Cassino) represented the Comune di Cassino. 

Kay de Lautour Scott represented the MCFRR and Legato Exhibitions.