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A meeting of minds

Posted on December 1, 2015

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Im an ardent admirer of the inspiration one art form can fuel in another. Occasionally theseprompted pieces can take the form of a dialogue with the original works, adding meaning andverve to those earlier pieces.

At the Santa Giulia museum of Brescia, a duel exhibition is performing just this feat,showcasing 35 works by 1997 Nobel prize winner Dario Fo created in direct response to thework of his hero Marc Chagall.

Rather like a duet of piano and cello playing out to exquisite effect, with one passage of notesechoing and building on the other, the exhibition features celebrated pieces by Chagallreflecting moments from his youth and early adulthood, with dreams and impressions woveninto the paintings and sketches, many of which have never been displayed before.

I entered this gallery first, accompanied by dozens of members of the Italian press, all jostlingfor a closer look and a quote from curator Eugenia Petrova and artist Dario Fo.

The images, which include stunning early works from Chagalls childhood in Russia, resoundedagainst the walls of the narrow space, presenting scenes of farmland against portraits ofJewish workers this is the artist whose painting The Fiddler inspired the musical Fiddler onthe Roof, a detail I rather love, and which demonstrates the visceral energy of his work.

Marc Chagall sketchbook

Fo, you may recall, is most celebrated for his work in the theatre (as a playwright, set andcostume designer, director and even composer) explaining in part, perhaps, this match madein heaven.

Many of Chagalls works speak of love, too, which is also an enduring theme for Fo.

Lebreo in Rosa by March Chagall

In a separate hall, I strolled amid the 20 works by Dario Fo, each created especially for theexhibition. Accompanied by 15 preparatory paintings, the companion pieces draw fromChagalls work but also Fos own life.

They fizz with vigour, revelling in their colour-saturated canvasses. Even pieces depictingtraumatic events (such as this one by Fo showing the new-born Chagall being plunged into anice-cold bath to shock him into breathing), are packed with humour.

Theres a wonderful sense of Darios personality imbuing the pieces, a wry wickedness and aglint of mischief. This is, after all, the man who muddled together European languages to

create a brand new theatre experience.

While Dario (pictured left) claims to have learnt storytelling from fisherfolk and glassblowers,his passion for the work of Chagall means much of his mark-making has been influenced bythe artist described by Pablo Picasso as the only painter left who understands what colourreally is.

Its a legacy that lifts both segments of the conjoined exhibition, along with a passion for thefantastical and surreal.

Dario Fo was born in March 1926, and discovered Chagalls work when he was only in histwenties.

Its such a happy and harmonious union that I can only wonder that this collaborative exhibitiondidnt happen earlier, and be glad that it happened at all.

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Marc Chagall. Russian years 1907-1924: with a story in pictures by Dario Fo is on at theSanta Giulia museum in Brescia until 15 February 2016. I cant think of a more delightfulexcuse to flit over to this beautiful Italian town than an exceptional spot of culture. Find outmore about Brescia at www.bresciatourism.it/en/

This entry was posted in Reviews, Travel and tagged art exhibitions, Brescia, Dario Fo, MarcChagall by Judy. Bookmark the permalink.

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A meeting of minds