Vernissage-hopping: An Evening in Rome

Guerrieri at far right in khaki jacket

One of our (i.e. Rome the Second Time’s) favorite evenings is to do some serial vernissage hopping.  That is, we check out a few art openings on the same evening.  Recently there were 4 listed in Trova Roma, 2 within a nice walk of each other and 2 others further away.  We started with one in the Centro, on via di Monserrato, home to several upscale galleries. 

Dianne trying to figure out what it all means

The show here at Galleria Ricerca d’Arte is a 50-year retrospective of the Italian abstract painter, Franceso Guerrieri.  The crowd here was older and tonier than we’re used to seeing at openings, no doubt because of Guerrieri’s stature in the Italian art hierarchy.  The paintings are bold and visually arresting, if not in our usual canon of likes; and the vernissage was very much in our canon – full glasses of wine, substantial offerings of food, including little panini and Dianne's favorite: almonds.  And, medieval Rome.  Hard to beat.

We wandered through the curving streets, across the Tevere to Trastevere and an opening at a small gallery at the end of via San Francesco de Sales, nestled near the looming gates of a centuries-old villa. 

Sculptor Guillermo Mora's work

Dianne still trying to figure out
what it means

 At galleria “extraspazio” the artist is a 30-year old Spanish sculptor, Guillermo Mora.  In keeping with the theme, the vernissage – outside on the street near the small gallery – included sangria and guacamole.  The sculptures here, with the title “No Fixed Form," are certainly that.  We heard a lot of Spanish being spoken.

But, placed in the gallery like installations (in corners, at angles, up high, down low), the works gave us much to talk about.  And I would’ve taken one back to the states, if I could; they’d look at home in Los Angeles.  And, to cap a wonderful opening, a daughter of a good friend recognized us and came by to talk for a bit.  In Rome, a city of 4 million, and we run into someone we know!

Vernissage in Trastevere

We took one last stab at a gallery with the name “fuori centro” – outside the center.  It isn’t too far from where we’re living.  But by the time we made our way there at 9 p.m., it was closed.  Even with that (a new venture into a new area), we deemed this gallery-hopping evening a grand success.      Dianne