Italy's largest private collection of art in Mumbai for the first time

In a spasso con la natura or 'a scene in nature' (1999), Bruno Ceccobelli uses mixed media on cardboard. (Right) Enrico Baj's stunning collage on wood panel was donated to the collection by his widow Roberta Cerini Baj

Has any space in Mumbai ever made you feel like you were in another country? It's a question we ponder on while we linger by the Special Project Space at the Dr Bhau Daji Lad (BDL) Museum on a Sunday afternoon. The exhibition is called Italian Palimpsest - the name depicting the layers of art movements and styles that are reflected in a single space.

"This fascinating selection of 12 artworks from the Farnesina Collection in Rome, is on display for the first time in Mumbai. It showcases a spectrum of art practices in Italy including paintings, photography, collage, lenticular print, tempera painting and mixed media," says Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, managing director and honorary trustee at BDL.

A lenticular print, Luigi Ontani's Ossimoro Sorvolante (2006) changes as you view it from different angles. Even the title cannot be translated. 'Ossimoro' means oxymoron and the word 'Osi' means bone. Thus, it is has multiple readings

The artists include Luigi Ontani who is known for his interactive installations, Enrico Baj, a propenent of the avant-garde movement, as well as Marco Tirelli who works with indeterminate forms.

The collaboration came about through Stefania Costanza, the Consul General of Italy in Mumbai. "One Sunday she actually came down with friends and spent the day sketching here. So, she is quite artistic herself," Mehta reveals. The show acts as a reference point for both, art lovers and people who are unfamiliar with art itself. And if you cannot make it to Italy this summer, this offers a slice of the country that a page in your art or history textbook won't do justice to.

Tasneem Zakaria Mehta

Till April 30, 10 am to 6 pm
At Special Project Space, Dr Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum, Byculla East.
Call 23731234
Free

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