In August 2020, the Soprintendenza Archivistica e Bibliografica del Piemonte e della Valle d'Aosta declared the Archive of Giovanni Ceccarelli aka Nerone to be of particular historical interest and placed it under protection. It constitutes fundamental evidence for reconstructing the activity and life of Giovanni Ceccarelli, known as Nerone, an artist, sculptor and emblematic figure on the cultural and artistic scene of his time. His creative path and his artistic, cultural and philosophical thought are inextricably linked to the historical period in which he lived, not only because of the capillary network of collaborations he was able to build or the strong understanding he had with the public, but also because of the originality of his artistic activity, which was able to establish a dialogue between sculpture, architecture, design and the market.
The Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity of the Ministry of Culture, in agreement with the Regional Secretariat for Piemonte, is promoting the project "Nerone, Giovanni Ceccarelli. An artist for the integration of the arts: sculpture, architecture and design", which first of all envisages the cataloguing of Ceccarelli's works and the cataloguing, reorganisation and inventorying of the documentary and photographic archives, the digitisation of materials, and the implementation of the archives' website.
The project proposal is part of the search for "hidden" or "forgotten" artistic pieces, which developed in the second half of the last century in Italy through the presence of interesting and relevant experiences of authors who are not adequately recognised for the cultural quality expressed in their creative activity. The aim is to rediscover them through cultural projects that include actions aimed at the knowledge and dissemination of the heritage of modern and contemporary art in order to protect, preserve and enhance it.
Documentario e Mostra
Accanto all’attività di ricerca, il progetto prevede un documentario per valorizzare la figura di Giovanni Ceccarelli attraverso la diffusione ad un pubblico ampio. Il documentario “Nerone. Storia di un artista” (2021, da un’idea di Stefania Dassi e Saar Ceccarelli, regia di Simona Carnino) affronta il percorso dell’artista tra arte e architettura e design, guidando all’avvicinamento ad una personalità dirompente che ha sfidato le barriere tra arte e dimensione urbana, configurando la centralità del rapporto con l’ambiente nella progettazione.
Una mostra dal titolo Nerone. Giovanni Ceccarelli scultore, aperta al pubblico tra il 16 settembre e il 16 ottobre 2021, espone una selezione di opere e documenti presso la sede dell’Archivio di Stato di Torino. Una selezione di opere proposta dagli eredi Ceccarelli, realizzate a partire dagli anni ’60 fino alla morte dell’artista. In occasione della mostra, sarà presentato il documentario prodotto e sarà organizzata una giornata di studi dedicata.
Website of the Archive of 'Nerone' Giovanni Ceccarelli
Mostra e documentario – Com. stampa 15.09.2021
Teaser della mostra
Trailer del documentario
Il documentario “Nerone. Storia di un artista”