Exhibitions: Art and Religion in the Charterhouses of Campania

Naples -The initiative features not only exhibitions with old and contemporary masterpieces 'in dialogue' with each other but also a religious and spiritual journey engaging both body and soul. Entitled "Il Cammino delle Certose" (the route of Carthusian monasteries), this complex project organized by the Campania Region with the technical collaboration of the Museum Department of Campania is one of the most outstanding cultural offerings funded by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism. Beginning on July 14, events, exhibitions, performances and readings will be staged in the Carthusian monasteries of San Lorenzo in Padula, San Martino in Naples and San Giacomo in Capri.

This cultural-tourist initiative organized by the Campania Region, which has long been investing in the 'minor' religious sites of the local area, offers itineraries that are half-way between pilgrimage routes and nature trekking experiences. In San Martino, 17th- and 18th- century artworks inspired by the biblical theme of Judith and Holofernes (the subject depicted in the fresco by Luca Giordano in the Cappella del Tesoro, the preparatory drawings of which, lent by the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, will be exhibited for the first time), will interface with contemporary masters like Lucio Fontana, Alberto Burri, and Anish Kapoor. In Capri, the religious journey begins with the 'Leviticus' installation by Hermann Nitsch, the protagonist of Viennese Actionism, and includes a selection of Russian traveling icons in enameled bronze from a private collection, Vittorio Pavoncello's engravings in the Hebrew Bible, and two works by Vettor Pisani.

Finally, Padula, which has long been home to contemporary artworks, will be the stage for a performance by Vanessa Beecroft entitled Thirteen Christs on July 14, bringing together 13 performers selected by the artist in an impressive choreography featuring some 300 performing artists; but there will also be works by Spalletti, Emblema, Sanna, and Dompe'. Other features include readings by Catherine Spaak along with music by Debussy in Capri, a concert with Markus Stockhausen in Padula, and two appointments with the San Carlo di Napoli in San Martino and Padula.

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