An exhibition that allows us to cross boundaries — and to cross them in an exceptional way. An incredibly rich exhibition, which explores the theme of borders in a very original manner, so beautiful that I regret not having conceived and organized it myself when I was president of the MAXXI Museum in Rome. This should give an idea of its curatorial, thematic, and research quality, as well as its sheer beauty.”
With these words, the Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli — currently visiting Friuli Venezia Giulia — commented on the exhibition “Confini. From Gauguin to Hopper”, set up in the East Wing Exedra of Villa Manin, in Passariano di Codroipo (Udine).
“It’s an exhibition that absolutely must be seen,” Minister Giuli continued at the end of the guided tour led by curator Marco Goldin, accompanied by the Italian Minister for Parliamentary Relations Luca Ciriani and the Deputy Governor of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region Mario Anzil.
“There is such expressive quality here, and truly authentic painting gems that aren’t easy to find even in their home museums. The selection is extremely thorough, and the thematic arrangement is exceptional. It deserves to be valued, and it’s only right — as is already happening — that the public comes, enjoys it, and celebrates it.”
This recognition had already been anticipated in recent days by the Ministry of Culture, which officially declared the exhibition to be “of significant cultural and scientific interest”, and capable of “highlighting, through a comparative lens, the universal scope of the idea of the border as an aesthetic and cultural category.”
It is, in short, a unique exhibition with an international scope, featuring 130 masterpieces by major artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, loaned by important museums across Europe and the United States — and it is attracting extraordinary public attention.
In its first 30 days of opening, around 20,000 people visited the exhibition, set up in the newly restored East Wing Exedra of the magnificent former ducal residence. On some days, attendance exceeded 2,000 visitors, prompting organizers to keep the exhibition open an extra hour to accommodate all those patiently waiting in line to enter.
More than 40% of visitors booked their tickets in advance, coming from 62 Italian provinces and from abroad, especially from neighboring Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, and Germany.
The public’s appreciation is also reflected in several indicators, starting with the exceptional number of catalogues sold (about one for every seven visitors), as well as the choice of one in three visitors to rent the audio guide (not included in the ticket price). The audio guide features the curator Marco Goldin narrating his own “personal” interpretation of the exhibition.
He commented on these early results:
“Beyond the joy of seeing such strong numbers right away — and all the more so considering how remote Villa Manin is compared to typical visitor routes — what I really want to highlight is the audience’s appreciation for the exhibition project and for the number of masterpieces included, coming from dozens of museums worldwide. It shows that people can clearly recognize the quality and value of a project that took years of work and has now brought together, in the renovated East Wing Exedra, over a hundred paintings representing the idea of the border in art between the 19th and 20th centuries.”
Regional leaders who strongly supported the exhibition have also emphasized its early success.
Massimiliano Fedriga, President of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia:
“The public success of the exhibition ‘Confini da Gauguin a Hopper’ fills us with pride and confirms the central role of culture for our region. Reaching this number of visitors in such a short time is proof not only of the extraordinary quality of the exhibition, but also of the ability of our region and of Villa Manin to host events of international relevance. This exhibition — which perfectly embodies the theme of our borderland culture — shows that a ‘border’ is not a limit, but an extraordinary opportunity for dialogue and growth. We are transforming Friuli Venezia Giulia into a cultural hub recognized at the European level, and the warm response from visitors is the best reward for our commitment.”
