Caravaggio's Sicily is the title of the exhibition promoted by the Municipality of Noto and produced by Mediatica which will see thirty of the most significant works of Caravaggism in Sicily exhibited at the Convitto delle Arti Noto Museum. The relationship between Caravaggio, Sicily and its artists is one of the most fascinating chapters in the history of art and the last major exhibition on this theme dates back to 1984, Caravaggio in Sicily, his time, his influence: an operation as extraordinary as it is difficult to repeat today due to the immovability of Caravaggio's paintings from the Messina Museum and the large altarpiece from Syracuse depicting the Burial of Saint Lucia. What was held in Syracuse was a unique opportunity to study hitherto neglected artists such as Mario Minniti from Syracuse, Alonso Rodriguez from Messina, Pietro Novelli from Palermo, rediscovering a fabric of relationships in which the Caravaggesque verb, burning in its surprising ( and sometimes incomprehensible) innovation was declined depending on the client and the absorption and re-elaboration capacity of the individual local masters.

CARAVAGGIO, JUSEPE DE RIBERA, PIETRO NOVELLI, LUCA GIORDANO, MATTIA PRETI, MARIO MINNITI, MATTHIAS STOMER, BATTISTELLO CARACCIOLO, GIOVANNI BERNARDINO AZZOLINO, ALONZO RODRIGUEZ, ANDREA VACCARO, HENDRICK DE SOOMER, FABRIZIO SANTAFEDE, GERARD SEGHERS, CARLO SELLITO, SCILLA, AND OTHER ARTISTS

Much has been done since that exhibition, some painters have enjoyed monographs and exhibitions, others have been at the center of specialist articles and essays, but a real moment of synthesis was missing on a phenomenon which for Sicilian artists was a real earthquake from the point of view of figurative imagery. The exhibition La Sicilia di Caravaggio certainly does not have the presumption of providing a synthesis of all this wealth of studies, but of tracing a path, a sort of viaticum to understand a phenomenon that lasted about fifty years, from the moment of its presence in Palermo, to starting from 1600, of the (stolen) Nativity by Caravaggio up to the naturalistic production of Pietro Novelli and in a baroque key by Matthias Stomer around the middle of the century. The itinerary is divided into three sections with works coming mostly from Sicilian museums with some precious presence from Maltese museums and some Italian museums.

The first section is dedicated to artists active in Sicily and also in the Viceroyalty who directly knew Caravaggio or are considered the so-called first and second generation Caravaggists. These include, among others, masters such as Giovanni Bernardo Azzolino, Mario Minniti, Alonzo Rodriguez, Fabrizio Santafede, Carlo Sellitto, Battistello Caracciolo, Hendrick de Somer. The presence in the exhibition of a masterpiece such as the Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew by Ribera, coming from the Diocesan Museum of Nicosia, gives an account of the innovations arriving from Naples, as does the Saint Lucia by Carlo Sellitto from the Regional Museum of Messina. The second section is aimed at the transition to a sweetened naturalism in a classicist and baroque key. Here the greatest exponent is Pietro Novelli, supported by examples of Andrea Vaccaro and Daniel Seghers present in the exhibition with works of rare beauty; but the true synthesis between Caravaggio's luminism and decisive openings towards the Baroque is given in Sicily by Matthias Stomer, author of two monumental works such as the Stoning of Saint Stephen (Palermo, Palazzo Branciforti) and the Death of Cato in the Castell'Ursino Museum in Catania and the Saint John at the source from the National Museum of Valletta, a work attributed to Caravaggio which will be the subject of food for thought.

A DANCE OF LIGHT AND SHADOW

An extraordinary sensorial experience, where light and shadow blend in a timeless dance, revealing the deepest secrets of Caravaggio's works of art. The room is covered with mirrors that multiply and amplify every detail, transforming the vision into a kaleidoscope of visual emotions. Caravaggio's most iconic works come to life on the walls and reflected in infinite space, projected with extraordinary clarity thanks to the most advanced technology. The details of the faces, the folds of the clothes, the shine of the fruit and flowers: everything seems so real that you could reach out and touch the painting surface.

But it is the light itself that is the true protagonist of this experience. It dances on the surfaces, delicately caressing the contours of the figures, revealing secrets hidden in the deepest shadows. An emotional and visual experience that celebrates the power of light in overcoming darkness, illuminating not only the works of art, but also the souls of those who are lucky enough to travel this extraordinary journey through the genius of the great painter.

Video installation creation Art Media Studio - Florence