The History

Fondazione Carlo Levi was established by the artist’s testamentary will, on June 26, 1975, and recognised as a non-profit organisation in 1979 by decree of the President of Republic Sandro Pertini. The main purpose of the Foundation is to protect and enhance the figure of Carlo Levi, through the preservation and promotion of his heritage, that consists of pictorial and literary material. The first president, as well as the founder, of the Foundation, was Linuccia Saba, who was succeeded by important personalities from the world of culture, committed to carrying out the Institution’s objectives; including Giulio Einaudi, Giovanni Russo, Pia Vivarelli and Guido Sacerdoti. The current President is Daniela Fonti.

The Heritage

It consists of a paperwork archive and an important pictorial collection. The archive, declared of national interest by ministerial decree, is currently deposited at the Archivio Centrale dello Stato and can be consulted by means of a letter of authorisation from the same Foundation. The material collected is of heterogeneous nature (letters, typescripts, articles, manuscripts, catalogs, etc.) and allows us to learn about and delve into the polyhedric personality of Carlo Levi, and the study of his figure in the context of the artistic events of the 20th century. The pictorial collection is made up of approximately 800 works (paintings and papers) and allows to analyze and understand the whole of Levi’s artistic career from his debut, to his mature age, up to the last years of his life.

Activity

The activities of the Foundation are aimed at promoting and enhancing the Master’s literary and pictorial work, without forgetting other passions like politics, poetry and journalism. For this purpose, a series of cultural initiatives are promoted, such as conferences, seminars, anthological and collective exhibitions in Italy and abroad, independently or in collaboration with important public and private Institutions. The Foundation is also engaged in the publication of unpublished materials and new reprints. It also deals with preserving its pictorial heritage by planning restoration campaigns in collaboration with the ISCR and freelance professionals.

 

Activities up to 2019

2019

  • Memorandum of understanding with the Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici dell’Università degli Studi
    • Roma Tre as part of the objective to study, archive, index, promote and valorise the Foundation’s photographic collection and to seek synergies and develop cooperation in the areas of educational offerings and promotion, February 2019;
  • Collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute in Paris for the organisation of in-depth events dedicated to Carlo Levi during the exhibition dedicated to the artistCristo si è fermato a Eboli: il sud dimenticato di Carlo Levi with Davide Luglio and Riccardo Gasperina Geroni; Giorgio Agamben: Carlo Levi e la Paura della libertà , March-April 2019;
  • Presentation of Mario Bianchini’s prison diary Brodetto ottobrino, consommé di carotine, Carlo Levi Fondation, Roma,1st March 2019;
  • Conference Carlo Levi e i libri di confine della letteratura italiana. Dalla Crestomazia di Leopardi al Cristo si è fermato a Eboli, la prosa non romanzesca nella nostra tradizione: prosa morale, civile, autobiografica, diaristica, giornalistica, Palazzo Carpegna, Accademia Nazionale di San Luca, 6th May 2019;
  • Carlo Levi e la crisi della civiltà, Riflessioni attorno a Paura della Libertà, Museo Nazionale d’Arte Medievale e Moderna della Basilicata Palazzo Lanfranchi, Matera, November 2019;
  • Arcadia e Apocalisse. Paesaggi italiani in 150 anni di arte, fotografia, video e installazioni, PALP – Pontedera (PI), 8th Decembre 2019 – 26th April 2020;
  • Carlo Levi e la Basilicata dal confino a Lucania ’61, in collaboration with Fondazione Amendola-Associazione Carlo Levi di Torino and Museo di Palazzo Lanfranchi, Torino 26th November 2018- 28th February 2019;
  •  Impressioni parigini. Carlo Levi e l’école de Paris, Aliano, Pinacoteca Carlo Levi, 5th December 2018- 3rd February 2019;
  • Carlo Levi, un peintre-écrivain entre Paris et Materain collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute, Paris, 2nd April-7th May 2019, catalog curated by Daniela Fonti;
  • Carlo Levi e l’Arte della politica. Disegni e opere pittoriche, Casino dei Principi di Villa Torlonia, 29th November 2019 – 22nd July 2020

 

2018

  • Agreement with the Liceo Dante Alighieri of Rome for the school-work training project, year 2017/2018 (completion of the inventory of book material within the archive), January-May 2018
  • La Shoah dell’Arte. IV edizione, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, opening and extraordinary exhibition of Carlo Levi’s war works, Carlo Levi Fondation, Rome 22nd January- 4rth February 2018
  • Collaboration for the International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2018 –  Mi par d’essere caduto dal cielo, come una pietra in uno stagno. Omaggio a Carlo Levi , Biblioteca degli Uffizi – Firenze – 26th January 2018
  • Meeting on the author  Scrivendo sulle colline o sulle onde.  Riflessioni sulla pittura e scrittura di Carlo Levi, Aula Magna – Liceo Leonardo da Vinci – Terracina,   20th February 2018  (literature-art history workshop, the students produce digital didactic works comparing paintings with excerpts from Cristo si è fermato a Eboli)
  • Collaboration and selection of works for the exhibition Realismo magico. L’incanto nella pittura italiana degli anni Venti e Trenta,  MART- Rovereto, 3rd Decembre 2017- 2dr April 2018 (the exhibition was transferred to the Ateneum Art Museum of Helsinkila – 1.05.2018 /19 .08.2018 and Folkwang Museum, Essen – 27.09.2018 /13.01. 2019)
  • Collaboration and selection of works for the exhibition De Pisis eclettico connaisseur, MEF- Museo Ettore Fico, Torino, 17th January 2018 – 29th April 2018
  • Collaboration and selection of works for the exhibition Post Zang Tumb Tuuum. Art Life Politics: Italia 1918-1943, Fondazione Prada, Milano, from 4th February to 25th June 2018
  • Organisation and selection of works for the exhibition Il futuro antico del cibo. Carlo Levi  opere 1922-1971, on the occasion of the Year of Italian Food, Carlo Levi Foundation, Roma, 7th June – 7th Julyo 2018 (the exhibition was transferred to Eboli – Sanatrix Nuovo Elaion in collaboration with Fondazione Gaeta – Study Centre  Carlo Levi, from 13th July to 23rd October 2018; in Matera – Palazzo Lanfranchi, Matera 3rd December 2018 – 10th January 2019 in collaboration with Centro Carlo Levi and Polo Museale Regionale della Basilicata); the exhibition is accompanied by a brochure
  • Collaboration and selection of works for the exhibition Le Violon d’Ingres, Accademia di Francia  – Villa Medici, Roma, 1st November 2018- 3rd February 2019
  • Organisation and selection of works for the exhibition Carlo Levi e la Basilicata: dal confino a Italia ’61, in collaboration with the Fondazione Giorgio Amendola and the  Polo Museale Regionale della Basilicata,  headquarters of Fondazione Giorgio Amendola and of Associazione lucana Carlo Levi, Torino, 26th November 2018- 28th February 2019
  • Organisation and selection of works for the exhibition  Impressioni parigine Carlo Levi e l’Ecole de Paris,  in collaboration with the Municipality of Aliano, Pinacoteca Carlo Levi, Aliano, 5th December 2018 – 3rd February 2019; the exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue
  • Presentation of the volume L’arse argille consolerai. Carlo Levi, dal confino alla Liberazione di Firenze attraverso testimonianze, foto e documenti inediti by Nicola Coccia, Biblioteca nazionale centrale di Roma, 17th December 2018

2017

  • Organisation and selection of works for the exhibition  La memoria dell’ombra:  Carola Masini_Stefano Trappolini, Carlo Levi Foundation, Roma, from 27th January from 28th February 2017; the exhibition is accompanied by a brochure
  • Collaboration for the setting up  of the exhibition  Le attese del niente. Carlo Levi tra scrittura e pittura, Spazio900 – Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma, permanent room dedicated to the artist, February 2017
  • Organisation and selection of works for the exhibition All’ascolto di Cristo si è fermato a Eboli. Infiniti terrestri déi by Isabella Staino, Carlo Levi Foundation, Roma, 12th April – 5th May 2017
  • Organisation  of  Elio De Capitani legge Cristo si è fermato a Eboli, reading of selected excerpts, Carlo Levi Foundation, Roma, 12th April 2017
  • Organisation and selection of works for the exhibition I PANI di Carlo Levi, on the occasion of AMACI Day, Carlo Levi Foundation, Roma,   from 14th October to 11th  November 2017
  • Collaboration and selection of works for the exhibition Dalla trottola al robot. Il mito dell’infanzia nel gioco e nell’arte, Palazzo Pretorio, Pontedera, 11th November 2017 – 30th April 2018
  • Collaboration and selection of works for the exhibition Poeti/Pittori/Poeti. Tra pittura e poesia, Palazzo Banca d’Alba, 18th November – 17th December 2017, Villa d’Alba
  • Collaboration and selection of works for the exhibition Realismo Magico. L’incanto nella pittura italiana degli Anni Venti e Trenta, Mart Rovereto, 3rd December 2017 – 2 April 2018, Rovereto (travelling exhibition at the Ateneum Art Museum of Helsinki and at the Folkwang Museum of Essen)

2016

  • Collaboration with Museo diocesano di Caltanisetta on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day for a seminar entitled  Carlo Levi, Il Pittore, Lo Scrittore, 27th January 2016
  • Exhibition of Levi’s production of “I quattro Booz” at the Foundation’s headquarters in Rome on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, 27th January 2016
  • Collaboration for  the 4th Concorso Nazionale Artistico Letterario Carlo Levi promoted by Fondazione Gaeta/Centro Studi Carlo Levi since 2012. The Competition was awarded the medal of the President of Republic, the Chamber of Deputies and Republic Senate.
  • Collaboration for the conference entitled  Paura della Liberta’ / Paura della Pittura Carlo Levi su arte e potere  at the Centro Carlo Levi, Matera, 1st February 2016
  • Selection of the work and scientific care of the exhibition board  “Il Novecento antico“, at the MAR of Ravenna,  from 20th February 2016
  • Realisation of a literature-art history workshop entitled “L’immagine nella parola ” at the  Liceo Ginnasio Statale “Dante Alighieri”, Roma. Within the workshop the students produced digital didactic works, 4th April 2016
  • Selection of the work and scientific care of the exhibition board for  Per Grazia Ricevuta. La devozione religiosa a Pompei antica e moderna, Antiquarium of Pompei, 29th April 2016
  • Collaboration and material selection for the realisation of the Virtual Museum  Carlo Levi in  Grassano, inauguration on 8th August 2016
  • Realisation of the scientific exhibition board, published in Guida agli archivi d’arte del ‘900 a Roma e nel Lazio” curated by the Archivio Biblioteca La Quadriennale of Roma
  • Selection of the works for the new setting of the  Galleria d’Arte Moderna Achille Forti, Palazzo della Regione, Verona
  • Selection of the work and scientific care of the exhibition “BOOM 60! Era arte moderna”, Museo del Novecento Milano, from  18th October 2016 to 12th March 2017
  • Selection of the work for the exhibition “Vo(l)to di Donna“, Camera dei Deputati, 1/12/2016 – 9/1/2017
  • Selection of the works for the  exhibition Topazia Alliata.Una vita per l’arte, Fondazione Sant’Elia Palermo, 11th November 2016 – 11th January 2017
  • Selection of the works for the  exhibition TUTTI IN MOTO! Il mito della velocità in cento anni di arte, PALP Palazzo Pretorio, from 8th December 2016 –  14th May 2017, Pontedera (the exhibition is extended by the title Futurismo, velocità e fotografia, Museo Piaggio, Pontedera)

2015

  • Organisation and selection of the materials for the exhibition Il mondo ebraico femminile nella pittura di Carlo Levi, at the Foundation’s headquarters, inaugurated on the occasion of the International Holocaust Day of Remembrance, Roma – Carlo Levi Foundation, 27th January – 31st March;
  • Collaboration and selection of works for the exhibition “Pittura Italiana … e altre storie minori”. Angelo Mosca, Michele Tocca, Pio Semeghini, Roberto Melli, Lorenza Boisi, Ivan Malerba, Carlo Levi, Carlo Dalla Zorza, Fausto Pirandello, Casino dei Principi di Villa Torlonia – Roma, 31st January – 12th April;
  • Organisation of the Congress Paura della Pittura, Paura della Scrittura in collaboration with Casa delle Letterature, as part of the exhibition “Pittura Italiana … e altre storie minori”, Casa delle Letterature- Roma, 26th February;
  • Collaboration for the conference “Carlo Levi. La Storia che ci appartiene”. La sua arte, il suo pensiero promossa dalla Biblioteca Nazionale di Potenza, dallo Studio d’Arte Il Santo Graal di Potenza, dal Parco Letterario “Carlo Levi” di Aliano, dall’Associazione Culturale Crassanum” di Grassano” at Sala Conferenze Biblioteca Nazionale – Potenza, 8th May;
  • Collaboration and sponsoring at the Congress and 3rd National Artistic and Literary Competition “Carlo Levi”, on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the death of Carlo Levi in collaboration with the “Luigi Gaeta” Foundation at the S. Francesco Monumental Complex – Eboli, 5/6 June;
  • Participation in the information-didactic project promoted by the Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai beni culturali under the title “Educare alle mostre. Educare alla città rivolto ai docenti con un incontro dal titolo Carlo Levi, nostro contemporaneo”, 17th November, Sala Pietro of Cortona, Piazza del Campidoglio-Roma;
  • Organisation of an exclusive guided tour at the Carlo Levi Foundation, – Rome, 14th December;
  • Organisation and selection of the material for the exhibition Sotto il segno di Carlo Levi in collaboration with Arte e Pensieri, Palazzetto Art Gallery and Maurizio Lo Noce at the Arte e Pensieri and Palazzetto Art Gallery – Rome, 23rd October – 22nd December; drafting of critical texts and catalogue editing.

2014

  • Participation and presentation of the exhibition Carlo Levi L’umanità dipinta con le parole – at Centro Unipol- CUBO- Bologna
  • Participation in the collective group exhibition Realism at the Pierre Arnaud Foundation, Lens (Switzerland)
  • Organisation and selection of material for the Carlo Levi anthological exhibition. La realtà e lo specchio, at Galleria Russo, Roma; drafting critical texts and editing the catalogue (Palombi Editori)

2013

  • Restoration of 10 paintings from the Foundation’s collection
  • Participation in the seminar Cristo si è fermato a Eboli organised by Università del Salento, Lecce
  • Organisation and selection of material for the anthological exhibition Carlo Levi, pintor, escritor e antifascista italiano, Centro da Cultura Judaica, São Paulo (Brazil)
  • Organisation and selection for the Carlo Levi anthological exhibition in Ravenna, in collaboration with Associazione Il Cerbero, Palazzo della cultura e dello Sport Mauro De Andrè, Ravenna
  • Organisation and selection of material for the Carlo Levi exhibition in Berlin at the August Bebel Institut Galerie and the three-day conference dedicated to Lucanian emigration to Germany, in cooperation with FILEF and the Carlo Levi Association of Berlin

2012

  • Participation in the collective exhibition Artisti a Villa Strohl-Fern. Luogo di arte e di incontri a Roma tra il 1880 e il 1956, at Casino dei Principi di Villa Torlonia, Roma
  • Scientific organisation and material selection for the Carlo Levi anthological exhibition. Dipinti dal 1926 al 1973, at il Museo dello Splendore, Giulianova
  • Participation in the XVI edition of the Premio letterario Nazionale “Carlo Levi”, at the Auditorium Comunale di Aliano
  • Participation in the collective exhibition Anni Trenta. Arti in Italia oltre il fascismo at Palazzo Strozzi, Firenze
  • Scientific organisation and material selection for the Carlo Levi’s anthological exhibition.”Il pane di Parigi, il pane di Matera” by Fondazione Giorgio Amendola, Torino

2011

  • Scientific organisation and editing of the related catalogue for the exhibition Carlo Levi e il nudo, in collaboration with the Archivio della Scuola Romana, at the headquarters of the Scuola Romana (Rome)
  • Organisation and selection of passages for reading at the meeting Carlo Levi: la pittura, la scrittura, at the headquarters of the Archivio della Scuola Romana – Roma; narrating voice Francesco Prando
  • Participation and organisation of the exhibition Il Palazzo della Farnesina e le sue collezioni, curated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at Ara Pacis – Rome
  • Organisation and management of the 5th Synaptica seminar on allergy sufferers confronted with Levi’s images, at the Foundation’s headquarters – Rome
  • Participation and organisation, for the section dedicated to Carlo Levi, of the exhibition Le nuove Eccellenze del Museo Magi’900, curated by Museo Magi of Pieve di Cento (BO)

2010

  • Restoration of 10 paintings from the Foundation’s collection
  • Digitalisation of part of the Foundation’s photo archive material related to the paintings of the collection
  • Collaboration for the publication of the volume of the proceedings of the conference Intertestualità leviane, curated by Silvana Ghiazza, in collaboration with the Department of Linguistics, Philology and Modern Literature – Università degli Studi di Bari
  • Organisation and selection of material for the Carlo Levi permanent exhibition in Aliano, in collaboration with the Municipality of Aliano and Basilicata Region

2009

  • Scientific organisation and editing of the related catalogue for the exhibition Carlo Levi. Dipinti restaurati (1920-1933) at the headquarters of Carlo Levi Foundation in Rome, in collaboration with the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro of Rome
  • Participation in and organisation of the conference Intertestualità leviane at Università degli Studi di Bari and the Centro Carlo Levi of Matera, (Bari – Matera – Aliano)
  • Collaboration for the publication of the volume Versi edited by Silvana Ghiazza
  • Organisation of personal exhibition: Carlo Levi, il prezzo della libertà, in cooperation with the Museo ebraico of Bologna, Bologna, (then moved to Casale Monferrato); the exhibition was accompanied by lectures on the theme “Carlo Levi e gli anni della guerra”
  • Conference Carlo Levi e il cinema, valori, utopia e impegno, organised by the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, Carlo Levi Foundation, Archivio audiovisivo del movimento operaio e democratico, Roma- Torino.
  • Collaboration with the FilmGrad association for the realisation of the project Via Appia, a documentary film that covers the most important places of the consular road, starting from some of Carlo Levi’s indications
  • Selection of paintings for the exhibition Il bacio. Arte italiana dal romanticismo al Novecento, Scuderie del Castello visconteo, Pavia