The Futurists Meet the Present in "futurBella," the new exhibit at Rhinoceros Gallery in Rome

A Campari "vending machine" - they appear on several floors of the exhibit at Rhinoceros gallery.

If you like Campari, and the combination of Futurist and contemporary art (Yoko Ono is into it), then Rhinoceros gallery and the Rhinoceros Hotel in which it's located (which has had a fascinating rehab by French "starchitect" - per The Daily Beast - Jean Nouvel) should be on your list. Whether you can afford to hobnob with the likes of Angelina Jolie in those luxury rooms of the 17th-century palazzo (now renamed Palazzo Rhinoceros) is up to you. What you can get is a free self-guided tour of the hotel and gallery, thanks to the current exhibition, futurBella, a mash-up of the Futurists, especially Fortunato Depero (he of the Campari bottle design) and "Poor Things" ("Povere Creature"), the lavishly artistic film by Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Thompson as Bella Baxter.

The gallery and hotel can be a refreshing respite from Rome's traditional tourist attractions. One of them, Bocca della Verità, is a one-minute walk along the adjacent parking lot. Bar dei Cerchi, just steps up via dei Cerchi from the hotel, is a rare "neighborhood" place in the Centro. Here we are, planning your day.

Playing off the costume design from "Poor Things," curator Raffaele Curi hangs one room of the gallery with 60 pieces of Victorian underwear - part of the "fun" he's trying to bring to contemporary art.

We'll save the hotel itself for another post and focus in this one on "futurBella," a  reference to works of the Futurist Giacomo Balla (whose apartment in Rome will be the subject of yet another future post), "futurBalla." Curator Raffaele Curi, who worked with Man Ray and other Surrealists, says he wants to bring back some of the fun in contemporary art.

Depero's advertising posters and magazine covers are projected on an interior window well going up 6 floors. Here is one for his own 1918 puppet play, "Balli Plastici" ("Plastic Ballets") which was re-imagined digitally in 1980 and plays in the gallery.  And also below, one of the wooden marionettes from the original play. (Depero objects are on loan from MART, a contemporary museum in the northern city of Rovereto which absorbed the Futurist museum founded by Depero.)

Campari wallpaper introduces the exhibit - which is quite effective in placing Depero's work throughout the hotel public space and gallery. You must visit all 6 floors to get the total effect, and all are open for you to saunter among the art spaces on your own. Our selection is heavy on Campari (apologies--the Campari spritz has been our drink of choice for the last couple years in Rome), but there is much more to the exhibit. We've included only limited photos here, because it's more fun to see this all for yourself.

The main gallery also has an exhibit by Ronan Bouroullec, "one of the most famous designers in the world." (We mistakenly sat on a golden coffee table - though no one seemed to mind. Photo at end of post.) Famous he might be, but Depero''s designs from the early 20th century steal the show. Bouroullec's show is on through September 8.

"futurBella" is scheduled to be on until November 30. The gallery web site makes it look as though you need an appointment; you don't. See the web site in English here: https://rhinocerosroma.com/en/gallery/

Dianne