Saturday 26 March, Guided tour exhibition MARC CHAGALL, A Tale of Two Worlds

Exhibition: MARC CHAGALL, a tale of two worlds.
The exhibition, curated by the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, looks at the work of Marc Chagall from a new angle, placing it in the context of his cultural background, thanks to the extraordinary collection in the Israel Museum, which presents a selection of over 100 works, most of which were donated by Chagall’s family and friends. The exhibition project is devoted in particular to Chagall’s graphic works and his work as an editorial illustrator. The exhibition traces some of the fundamental themes of the artist’s life and production: from his roots in his native Vitebsk (now Belarus), described with love and nostalgia in the series Ma vie, to his meeting with his beloved wife Bella Rosenfeld, whose books Burning Lights and First Encounter he illustrated, dedicated to memories of Bella’s life in the Jewish community, published after her untimely death, and whose original drawings are on display. The works on display thus reflect the multifaceted identity of the artist, who is at the same time the Jewish child of Vitebsk; the husband who decorates his beloved wife’s books with images; the artist who illustrates the Bible, thus making up for the lack of a Jewish tradition in the visual arts; and finally the original modern painter who, through the use of Christian iconography, mourns the fate that befell the Jewish people in his century. Finally, there will be a selection of ritual objects, used in the religious ceremonies of Jewish communities and often depicted in Chagall’s works.

Guided walking tour: The Rebirth of the Tortona district.
Milan never ceases to amaze. Alongside the city of monuments, ancient churches and historic museums, it is a city that knows how to treasure its recent past, which until a few years ago was abandoned to oblivion, neglect and degradation. Not only Porta Nuova with its skyscrapers, not only the Bicocca transformed into a university, but recently another district of Milan has been reborn: the former industrial area of Porta Genova and Tortona. In a walk through the old streets between Porta Genova Station, Via Savona, Via Tortona and Via Bergognone, we will discover the intense and dynamic life of places that have been abandoned for too long, disused factories, industrial buildings and courtyards of workers’ houses that have become showrooms, trendy fashion and modern design venues, and first-class cultural centres. The Tortona district has changed its skin and gained international visibility. Where there used to be large factories – Riva Calzoni, Schlumberger, Ansaldo, Società Lombarda prodotti Chimici, General Electric… – which have become relics of “industrial archaeology” – where there used to be the large Italian Post Office building, today there are the headquarters of the Nestlé and Deloitte companies, the futuristic NH hotel, the Armani Silos, the Teatro alla Scala Laboratory, the Museum of Cultures… and much more… all in the name of recovery and redevelopment: No gutting of the old city, no new buildings (as in the case of Porta Nuova), but intelligent operations of revalorization, reuse, reconversion. The abandoned and decaying city comes back to life!